Greece Mandates Social Media Age Check for Under-15s Starting 2027

Athens has officially joined the growing global movement to restrict young people’s access to digital social networks.

Greece’s parliament has ratified a bill that prohibits children under the age of 15 from using popular social media platforms. The legislation, which takes effect on January 1, 2027, marks a significant step in European digital regulation. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis first proposed the measure earlier this year, describing the initiative as a difficult but necessary action for the country. The law specifically targets major services including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X, requiring them to implement robust and proportionate age-verification systems.

The government argues that waiting for a broader European solution was no longer an option given the rapid pace of digital integration in daily life. Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister for digital governance and AI, emphasized the urgency of the situation. He noted that while doing nothing would have been the easier path, the government felt a duty to act as children increasingly immerse themselves in online spaces. Papastergiou stated that a responsible government must fulfill its obligations in the face of these changing dynamics.

Enforcement of the new rules will rely on the European Union’s Digital Services Act, meaning platforms that fail to comply with the age-verification requirements will face financial penalties. To assist households in adhering to the ban, the state is introducing two specific applications: Kids Wallet and Gov.gr. Parents will be required to download these apps and pair them with their children’s devices to block unauthorized access. The government claims these tools are designed to protect user privacy by utilizing "age tokens." These tokens allow platforms to verify a user's age without revealing excessive personal data, thereby minimizing the amount of information collected.

The passage of the bill was not without political friction. Minority parties in the parliament opposed the measure, but Prime Minister Mitsotakis leveraged his majority to push the legislation through. This move follows a 2024 decision by the nation to ban mobile phones in schools, indicating a sustained governmental focus on limiting youth exposure to digital technology. Opinion polls suggest that the adult population in Greece broadly supports the new social media restrictions for children.

The Greek government views its domestic action as a catalyst for broader European change. Mitsotakis has expressed the goal of encouraging the EU to adopt similar standards. This aligns with recent developments in Brussels, where the European Commission introduced the EU Kids Act. However, a key difference remains: the proposed EU law currently stipulates an outright ban only for children under the age of 13, whereas the Greek legislation sets the threshold at 15.

Greece’s approach also draws comparisons to Australia, which was the first country to enact a comprehensive social media ban for kids. While Australia’s move set a precedent, it has faced significant challenges in implementing effective age verification. Greece’s new law aims to address these implementation hurdles by mandating specific technical solutions and state-backed applications, positioning the country as a pioneer in the EU’s evolving digital landscape.