Greece bans social media for children under 15 starting 2027

Greece enacted a national ban on social media use for children under the age of 15 on October 23, 2026. The legislation will take effect on January 1, 2027. This move makes the country one of the first in the European Union to impose such a legal restriction.

The ban applies to major platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis previously announced the initiative earlier this year. He described the bill as difficult but necessary for the country.

Digital Governance and AI Minister Dimitris Papastergiou justified the national approach by arguing that Greece should not wait for perfect European legislation. He stated that children are increasingly immersed in the internet daily. Papastergiou asserted that a responsible government must act on its obligations rather than delaying for an ideal EU law.

The law requires social media companies to implement age-verification methods that are both proportionate and reliable. Firms that fail to comply with these new standards will face fines under the EU's Digital Services Act.

Parents will need to download state-backed applications named Kids Wallet or Gov.gr to enforce the ban at home. These apps pair with a child's device to block access to restricted services. Papastergiou noted that the applications are designed to limit data collection and protect user privacy.

The system uses age tokens to confirm a user's age while disclosing minimal personal information. Minority parties in the Greek parliament opposed the measure. Mitsotakis relied on his government's majority to pass the legislation despite the opposition.

Greece prohibited mobile phones in schools in 2024. Opinion polls show that the new social media restriction has broad support among Greek adults. Mitsotakis said the government aims to push the European Union in the same direction. The European Commission recently introduced the EU Kids Act, which proposes an outright ban only for children under 13. Australia was the first country to enact a full social media ban for children, though implementing age verification there has proven difficult.