Greece Parliament Passes Social Media Ban for Children Under 15

Greece's parliament has approved legislation that prohibits children under the age of 15 from using major social media platforms. The bill, which was passed on October 23, 2026, will become effective on January 1, 2027. This move establishes one of the first such regulations within the European Union.

The new law targets platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X. It mandates that these services implement reliable and appropriate age-verification methods to enforce the restriction. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, whose government proposed the measure, previously labeled the legislation as 'difficult but necessary'.

The legislation was advanced using the ruling party's majority after minority parties voiced their opposition. The government's push for this bill follows a 2024 initiative that barred mobile phones in schools. Public opinion surveys conducted in Greece indicate that the majority of adults support this new ban on social media for children.

Dimitris Papastergiou, Greece's digital governance and AI minister, defended the decision to act ahead of potential European-wide legislation. 'It would have been very easy to do absolutely nothing today and wait for the perfect European law,' he stated. 'But the challenge is here. Children are sinking into the internet every day, and I believe a responsible government must do what it is obliged to do.'

The ban covers a broad range of major social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. These services are now required to apply age-verification methods that are described as both proportionate and reliable. The European Commission recently introduced the EU Kids Act, which seeks to establish a similar framework, but that legislation stipulates an outright ban only for children under 13.

To enforce the age restriction, parents must download state-backed applications called Kids Wallet or Gov.gr. These apps are paired with a child's device to block access to the prohibited platforms. According to Papastergiou, these tools are designed to protect privacy by using 'age tokens' that confirm a user's age while minimizing the collection of personal data.

Non-compliance with the new regulations will result in fines issued under the European Union's Digital Services Act. Mitsotakis has previously stated that his government's 'goal is to push the European Union in this direction as well,' signaling an intent to influence broader regional policy on the matter.

Greece's decision follows Australia, which was the first nation to enact a full social media ban for children. The implementation of age verification in that country has proven challenging to put into practice. Greece's law will take effect on January 1, 2027, and its enforcement will be closely watched as other nations consider similar measures.