Greece Parliament Votes to Bar Kids Under 15 From Social Media Apps

Starting in early 2027, children under 15 in Greece will be blocked from accessing major social media applications. The nation's lawmakers have approved legislation requiring platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X to implement robust age-verification procedures. This measure marks one of the first significant legislative moves of its kind within the European Union, directly addressing how young people engage with online networks.

The regulation comes into force on January 1, 2027. It mandates that social media services deploy methods to confirm user age that are both reliable and proportionate to the risk. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, whose government proposed the bill, characterized the legislation as "difficult but necessary." The measure was introduced by the prime minister earlier this year and has now been formally enacted into law by the parliament.

To assist with compliance and enforcement, the state has developed specific applications named Kids Wallet and Gov.gr. Parents must download these tools and pair them with their child's device to block unauthorized access. Digital Governance and AI Minister Dimitris Papastergiou explained that the state-backed applications are designed to protect user privacy. They utilize "age tokens" to confirm a person's eligibility for the service while minimizing the amount of personal data disclosed during the verification process.

The minister defended the decision to act immediately rather than waiting for a comprehensive legislative framework from Brussels. "It would have been very easy to do absolutely nothing today and wait for the perfect European law," Papastergiou stated. "But the challenge is here. Children are sinking into the internet every day, and I believe a responsible government must do what it is obliged to do."

The bill passed with the support of the ruling majority, though it faced opposition from minority parties. This legislation follows a 2024 national policy that prohibited mobile phone usage in schools. Public opinion polls indicate that the adult population in Greece largely supports this new restriction regarding children's social media usage.

Platforms that fail to adhere to these new requirements will face penalties. Enforcement will proceed under the framework of the European Union's Digital Services Act. Meanwhile, Mitsotakis has indicated his intention to encourage similar policies across the continent, stating his government's "goal is to push the European Union in this direction as well."

While the European Commission has recently introduced the EU Kids Act, that specific law only mandates a total ban for children under 13. On a global scale, Australia was the first country to enact a full social media ban for kids, though the implementation of age verification there has proven difficult. Greece's new law represents a stricter approach regarding age limits compared to the current EU proposal.

The legislation is part of a broader pattern of government intervention concerning youth and technology. By moving ahead of the European Union's wider timeline, Greek officials are prioritizing the immediate protection of minors in the digital space. The state-backed applications are intended to facilitate this transition by verifying age without requiring extensive personal data collection.