Greece Becomes First in EU to Legally Bar Teens Under 15 from Social Media

Greece has officially become the first member state in the European Union to legislate a ban on social media use for children under the age of 15. The law, which passed through parliament this week, is set to take effect on January 1, 2027, marking a significant shift in how the region regulates digital access for minors. This move places Greece at the forefront of a growing global debate over screen time and digital safety, establishing a legal framework that goes beyond previous recommendations.

The legislation applies to major platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. Under the new rules, these services are required to implement age-verification methods that are both reliable and proportionate to their user base. The primary goal is to prevent young users from accessing these networks without explicit parental consent and verification, effectively creating a digital barrier that did not previously exist in EU law.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who first proposed the measure earlier this year, described the bill as "difficult but necessary." He argued that waiting for a comprehensive European law was no longer an option given the current trajectory of digital consumption among young people. Mitsotakis stated that the government’s broader objective is to nudge the entire European Union toward similar standards, hoping that national action will catalyze continental reform.

Dimitris Papastergiou, the Greek minister for digital governance and AI, emphasized the urgency of the situation. He noted that while doing nothing would have been the easy path, the reality of children increasingly spending their days online demanded a responsible government response. Papastergiou highlighted that the challenge is immediate and tangible, requiring the state to fulfill its obligation to protect its youngest citizens from potential digital harms.

To enforce the ban, parents will be required to download specific state-backed applications, such as Kids Wallet or Gov.gr. These apps must be paired with their child’s device to block access to social media platforms. The system relies on a technology referred to as "age tokens," which are designed to verify a user's age while minimizing the amount of personal data disclosed. This approach aims to balance the need for verification with the privacy concerns of young users and their families.

Compliance with the new act is not optional; failures to adhere to the rules will result in fines under the existing EU Digital Services Act. This enforcement mechanism ensures that tech companies have a strong financial incentive to implement the necessary verification tools. The law effectively shifts the burden of age verification from the user to the platform, supported by a new layer of parental oversight through the mandated mobile applications.

The path to passing the bill was not without political friction. Minority parties in Greece opposed the legislation, but Prime Minister Mitsotakis leveraged his government’s majority to push it through. Despite the opposition from some political factions, public opinion appears to be on the side of the ban. Recent opinion polls indicate that the adult population in Greece widely supports the restriction, viewing it as a necessary step in managing digital exposure for children.

This new law builds on previous domestic efforts to limit digital distraction. In 2024, Greece already banned the use of mobile phones in schools, signaling a broader governmental focus on reducing screen dependency in educational settings. The social media ban extends this philosophy beyond the classroom and into the home, creating a more consistent policy environment regarding technology and youth development.

The Greek move comes as the European Commission recently introduced the EU Kids Act. While that proposal aims to standardize rules across the bloc, it currently stipulates an outright ban only for children under the age of 13. Greece’s decision to set the threshold at 15 suggests a more protective stance than the upcoming EU baseline. This discrepancy may lead to discussions about harmonizing age limits across member states in the future.

Greece is not the first country to attempt such a restriction, but it is the first in Europe to formalize it for this age group. Australia was the pioneer in enacting a full social media ban for kids, though it has faced significant challenges in implementing effective age-verification systems. As Greece prepares for the 2027 rollout, observers will be watching closely to see if its "age token" system offers a more viable solution to the technical hurdles that have plagued other nations.