Greece Sets the 15 Threshold for a New National Social Media Restriction

Greece has formally adopted a legislative framework that will prohibit children under the age of 15 from using major social media platforms, marking a significant shift in how the nation regulates digital childhood. The law, which passed through parliament this month, is set to take effect on January 1, 2027. This move positions the country as one of the first in the European Union to impose such a strict age limit, moving beyond the guidelines currently being debated at the supranational level.

The primary objective of the new act is to enforce proportionate and reliable age verification methods on services such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. By mandating these technical standards, the government aims to create a structural barrier that prevents younger users from accessing these networks without explicit parental oversight. The legislation effectively closes a gap in consumer protection that has allowed many minors to bypass self-declared age fields in the past.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the bill as a difficult but necessary step for a responsible government. He argued that waiting for a perfect European law would have been an easy path but ultimately insufficient. The administration believes that the current trajectory of children spending increasing amounts of time online demands immediate national intervention rather than passive observation of broader continental trends.

Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister for digital governance and artificial intelligence, emphasized the urgency of the situation. He stated that children are sinking into the internet every day and that the state has an obligation to act. His comments suggest that the government views the digital environment as a space requiring active management to ensure the well-being of its youngest citizens.

Compliance with the new rules will be enforced through the existing EU Digital Services Act, which allows for fines against non-compliant platforms. To facilitate this, parents will be required to download state-backed applications known as Kids Wallet or Gov.gr. These tools will pair with a child's device to block access to restricted platforms, creating a digital tether between the guardian and the child's online activities.

The technical solution relies on the use of age tokens, a privacy-focused mechanism designed to confirm a user's age while minimizing the amount of personal data disclosed. Papastergiou noted that these apps are engineered to protect privacy, addressing common concerns that strict age verification might lead to excessive data collection by tech giants. This approach attempts to balance security with the right to data minimization.

Despite the clear intent behind the law, the process of passing it highlighted internal political divisions. The bill was opposed by minority parties, necessitating the use of the prime minister's majority to secure its passage. This legislative maneuver suggests that while the executive branch is committed to the policy, there remains some debate within the political establishment regarding the specifics of the implementation.

The move builds on a recent history of digital regulation in the country, which banned mobile phones in schools in 2024. Public opinion polls indicate that the adult population in Greece is widely supportive of the new social media ban. This broad consensus provides a solid political foundation for the law, even as the technical challenges of verification remain a subject of ongoing discussion.

The Greek government hopes that its national initiative will serve as a catalyst for broader European action. Mitsotakis has stated that the goal is to push the European Union in the same direction. While the European Commission has introduced the EU Kids Act, that framework currently stipulates an outright ban only for children under 13. Greece's higher age threshold may influence future negotiations, though the challenge of effective age verification, as seen in Australia's earlier attempts, remains a critical open question for the bloc.