Greece Blocks Social Media for Teens Under 15 Starting Next Year

The debate over how much screen time is safe for young people has reached a decisive turning point in Europe. Greece has officially enacted a law that will prohibit children under the age of 15 from using major social media platforms. This move represents a significant shift in digital policy, as the country becomes one of the first in the European Union to impose such a strict restriction on young users. The legislation is set to take effect on January 1, 2027, giving companies and families a few months to adjust to the new rules.

The core of the new regulation requires platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X to implement reliable and proportionate age-verification methods. This means that services can no longer rely solely on the date of birth entered by a user. They must adopt technical solutions that can accurately confirm a user's age. This requirement places the burden of verification directly on the tech giants, ensuring that the barrier to entry for under-15s is robust and consistent across different apps.

To make the ban enforceable, the government has introduced a specific tool for families. Parents will be required to download state-backed applications, known as Kids Wallet or Gov.gr, which are paired with their child's device. These apps serve to block access to social media for those under 15. The system is designed with privacy in mind, using so-called age tokens to verify a user's age without collecting excessive personal data. This approach aims to balance the need for access control with the protection of a child's digital footprint.

Greece’s digital governance and AI minister, Dimitris Papastergiou, explained the reasoning behind the decision. He stated that doing nothing would have been easy, but the challenge was urgent. Papastergiou noted that children are sinking into the internet every day, and he believes a responsible government must act. This sentiment reflects a growing concern among policymakers that the current state of online platforms is not suited for the youngest members of society.

The path to passing this law was not without political friction. The minority parties in the Greek parliament opposed the bill, arguing against the strict measures. However, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis used his majority in government to push the legislation through. He previously described the measure as difficult but necessary. This decisive action follows a trend in Greece, where mobile phones were already barred in schools in 2024, signaling a broader governmental effort to manage the digital environment for young people.

The timing of this law is strategic. It is intended to push the European Union in the same direction. The European Commission has recently introduced the EU Kids Act, which aims to standardize protections for children online. However, the EU proposal currently stipulates an outright ban only for children under the age of 13. Greece’s move to set the limit at 15 suggests that the nation is willing to go further than the current EU draft. This could influence how the final European legislation is shaped in the coming years.

Looking at the broader international context, Greece is following in the footsteps of Australia. Australia was the first nation to enact a full social media ban for kids. However, the implementation of age verification in Australia has proven challenging, highlighting the technical difficulties involved. By adopting this law, Greece is joining a small group of countries taking a proactive stance, while also testing the feasibility of these new verification technologies on a larger scale.

For readers in the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, this development offers a glimpse into the future of digital parenting. While the law is currently Greek, the pressure it places on the EU and global tech companies may eventually ripple outward. It suggests that the era of unchecked social media access for young teens may be coming to an end, at least in parts of Europe. As the deadline of January 1, 2027, approaches, the success of Greece’s implementation will likely serve as a key case study for other nations considering similar measures.