Greece Enacts 2027 Social Media Ban for Under-15s via State Apps

The Greek Parliament has approved a legal ban on social media use for children under the age of 15. The legislation takes effect on January 1, 2027, making Greece one of the first European Union members to impose such a restriction. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the initiative earlier this year, describing the bill as "difficult but necessary." The law targets major platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X.

The measure requires these services to implement age-verification methods that are both proportionate and reliable. Companies that fail to comply will face fines under the EU's Digital Services Act. On the household side, the law mandates that parents download state-backed applications called Kids Wallet or Gov.gr. These apps pair with a child's device to block access to the restricted services.

Digital governance and AI minister Dimitris Papastergiou defended the decision to proceed before EU-wide rules were finalized. He argued that waiting for a perfect European law would have meant doing nothing while children continued to engage with the internet. "The challenge is here," Papastergiou said. "Children are sinking into the internet every day, and I believe a responsible government must do what it is obliged to do."

The state apps are designed to protect user privacy by limiting data collection. They utilize "age tokens" that confirm a person's age while disclosing minimal personal information. This technical approach aims to balance access control with data security for young users.

Minority parties in Parliament opposed the legislation, allowing the government to pass it through its majority. This move follows Greece's 2024 ban on mobile phones in schools. Opinion polls indicate that Greek adults broadly support the new restriction on children's social media use.

Mitsotakis stated that the government aims to push the European Union in a similar direction. The European Commission recently introduced the EU Kids Act, which calls for an outright ban only for children under 13. Australia remains the first country to enact a full social media ban for children, though implementing age verification there has proven difficult.

Greece must now address the same implementation challenges using its state-backed app system. The law sets a specific timeline for compliance, with the ban beginning at the start of the new year.