Greece Blocks Social Media for Under-15s Starting in 2027

Greece will officially restrict social media access for children under the age of 15 starting on January 1, 2027. This legislative move makes the country one of the first in the European Union to implement a national ban on digital platforms for pre-teens. The new rules apply to major services including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. The primary mechanism for enforcement involves mandatory age verification processes that platforms must adopt to comply with the new national standard.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis first announced the initiative earlier this year, describing the decision as difficult but necessary. The bill passed through the Greek parliament following a vote where the majority government secured the required approval. Despite opposition from minority parties, the leadership pushed the measure forward to address concerns regarding youth engagement with digital networks. The law is set to take effect at the turn of the new year, giving tech companies and parents time to prepare for the changes.

The core requirement of the legislation is the implementation of proportionate and reliable age-verification methods. Platforms can no longer rely solely on self-reported birth dates. Instead, they must use technology that accurately determines if a user is below the threshold of 15 years old. This approach aims to create a clearer boundary between the digital spaces intended for children and those designed for adults. The goal is to reduce the volume of content and interactions that young users are exposed to without explicit parental oversight.

Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister for digital governance and AI, emphasized the urgency of the situation. He noted that waiting for a perfect European law would have allowed the problem to continue growing. Papastergiou stated that children are sinking into the internet every day and that a responsible government must act. His comments highlight the belief that national action is required before broader international standards are fully established and enforced across the region.

Compliance with the new act is tied to existing EU regulations, specifically the Digital Services Act. Companies that fail to implement the necessary verification tools face the possibility of significant fines. This financial pressure is expected to drive rapid adoption of new age-checking technologies. The law does not just set a rule for the age of users; it sets a technical standard for how that age is confirmed. This creates a new layer of responsibility for social media giants operating within Greek borders.

Parents will also play an active role in enforcing the ban through specific state-backed applications. Families are required to download apps named Kids Wallet or Gov.gr onto their child's devices. These applications function to block access to restricted platforms if the age criteria are not met. The design of these tools focuses on privacy protection, utilizing a system of age tokens to confirm a user's status. This method aims to minimize the amount of personal data disclosed while still providing a reliable verification signal to the platform.

Greece has a history of regulating technology in educational settings, having barred mobile phones in schools in 2024. The new social media ban follows that trajectory, expanding the scope of regulation beyond the classroom to the home. Opinion polls indicate that the adult population in Greece widely supports this measure. The broad support suggests that many citizens view the current digital environment as challenging for younger generations. This public sentiment likely contributed to the political will needed to pass the legislation over party lines.

The Greek government aims to influence the broader European landscape with this move. Mitsotakis stated that the goal is to push the EU in the same direction. The European Commission recently introduced the EU Kids Act, which proposes an outright ban for children under 13. By setting the age limit at 15, Greece is taking a slightly more expansive approach than the proposed continental standard. This strategy may encourage other member states to consider higher age thresholds in their own regulatory frameworks.

Australia was the first nation to enact a full social media ban for children, providing a real-world precedent for this type of legislation. However, the Australian experience has highlighted the technical difficulties involved in age verification. These challenges serve as a cautionary example for Greece as it prepares for the January 2027 launch. The success of the Greek implementation will depend on how effectively platforms and the state can manage the technical and privacy aspects of the new requirements.

As the new year approaches, families and tech companies in the Mid-Atlantic and beyond will likely watch Greece's rollout closely. The outcomes of this experiment could shape how other regions approach the balance between digital access and youth protection. The integration of state apps with private platforms represents a significant shift in the relationship between government and technology. This model may become a reference point for other nations seeking to manage the digital landscape for their youngest citizens.