Greece bans social media for teens

The Greek parliament has officially approved a sweeping new regulation that prohibits children under the age of fifteen from using major social media platforms. This legislative move marks a significant shift in how the European Union handles digital youth protection, positioning Athens as one of the first member states to impose such a strict national mandate. The measure was first proposed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis earlier this year and has now cleared the final legislative hurdles. The new rules will become active on January 1, 2027, giving technology companies and families a short window to prepare for the changes.

The legislation targets popular services including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. Under the new framework, these platforms are required to implement age-verification methods that are both reliable and proportionate to the user's age. The goal is to create a barrier to entry for minors without overburdening the system with excessive data collection. This approach reflects a broader concern among policymakers that the current digital landscape is becoming increasingly difficult for young users to navigate safely.

Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister for digital governance and artificial intelligence, emphasized the urgency of the situation during the legislative debate. He argued that waiting for a comprehensive European law would have allowed the problem to worsen. Papastergiou stated that it would have been easy to do nothing and wait for a perfect EU solution, but the challenge is present. He noted that children are sinking into the internet every day, and a responsible government must act accordingly.

Compliance with the new law is backed by the penalties outlined in the EU's Digital Services Act. Companies that fail to adhere to the age-verification requirements may face significant fines. To assist families, the government is introducing two state-backed applications called Kids Wallet and Gov.gr. Parents will be required to download these apps and pair them with their children's devices. The applications function as gatekeepers, blocking access to social media platforms unless the age verification process is successfully completed.

The technical foundation of these apps relies on a concept known as age tokens. Papastergiou explained that these tokens are designed to confirm a user's age while minimizing the amount of personal data disclosed. This method aims to balance the need for accurate age verification with the privacy expectations of modern users. By using this technology, the state hopes to reduce the digital footprint of minors while still enforcing the legal age limit.

The path to passing the bill was not without political friction. Minority parties in the Greek parliament opposed the legislation, arguing against the specific mechanisms or the timing of the ban. However, Prime Minister Mitsotakis leveraged his majority government to push the bill through the legislative process. This decisive action highlights the administration's commitment to digital reform, a stance that has been evident in previous policy decisions.

Greece has a recent history of regulating technology in educational settings. In 2024, the nation implemented a ban on mobile phones in schools to reduce distractions and encourage face-to-face interaction. The new social media ban extends this regulatory philosophy to the broader digital realm. Opinion polls conducted in the country indicate that the adult population is largely in favor of the new restrictions, suggesting strong public support for the government's intervention.

Prime Minister Mitsotakis has expressed a desire for the European Union to adopt similar measures across the continent. He stated that the government's goal is to push the EU in this direction. The European Commission has recently introduced the EU Kids Act, which aims to address these issues at a supranational level. However, that proposed legislation stipulates an outright ban only for children under the age of thirteen, which is a lower threshold than the Greek law.

Australia provides a relevant precedent for this type of legislation. It was the first nation to enact a full social media ban for children, setting an early example for other governments. However, the implementation of age verification in Australia has proven to be challenging, raising questions about the practical difficulties of enforcing such rules. Greece's approach, with its specific focus on state-backed apps and age tokens, offers a different model that may influence how other countries tackle the same issue in the coming years.