Athens Mandates Digital Age Limits

Greece has formally enacted legislation that will prohibit children under the age of 15 from accessing major social media platforms, a measure set to take effect on January 1, 2027. The law represents a significant shift in the nation's digital regulatory framework, establishing one of the earliest comprehensive social media bans within the European Union. This development follows Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s announcement of the initiative earlier this year, marking the transition from political proposal to binding statutory law.

The legislation applies to widely used services including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. Under the new rules, these platforms are required to implement proportionate and reliable age-verification mechanisms to ensure compliance. Failure to adhere to these standards will result in financial penalties levied under the existing EU Digital Services Act. To facilitate enforcement, parents will be required to install state-backed applications, specifically Kids Wallet or Gov.gr, on their children’s devices. These tools function by blocking access to covered platforms, with ministerial assurances that they utilize 'age tokens' to verify age while minimizing the collection of personal data to protect user privacy.

The path to enactment was not without political friction. While the bill was championed by the ruling coalition, it faced opposition from minority parties in parliament. Prime Minister Mitsotakis utilized his government’s majority to pass the measure, describing the decision as 'difficult but necessary.' Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister for digital governance and AI, emphasized the urgency of the action, stating that it would have been easier to wait for a perfect European framework, but the growing immersion of children in digital environments demanded immediate responsibility from the state.

Public sentiment appears to align with the government’s stance, as recent opinion polls indicate widespread support for the ban among the adult population. This move builds upon previous educational reforms, including the 2024 prohibition of mobile phones in schools. The government views this domestic action as a strategic step to influence broader continental policy. Mitsotakis has previously stated that the administration aims to push the European Union toward similar measures, a goal that coincides with the European Commission’s recent introduction of the EU Kids Act, though that broader proposal currently mandates bans only for those under 13.

The stakes of this legislation extend beyond national borders, as Greece joins a growing group of nations seeking to regulate youth exposure to digital content. While Australia was the first country to implement a full social media ban for children, its experience has highlighted the technical difficulties associated with effective age verification. Greece’s approach, which combines statutory mandates with specific parental tools, attempts to address these implementation challenges directly. As the law takes effect at the start of next year, the nation’s experience may serve as a critical test case for digital age restrictions across the region.