Greece outlines social media ban for children under 15 starting January 2027
The Greek government has released a 10-point framework for a draft bill that will prohibit minors under 15 from accessing social media platforms starting 1 January 2027.
National draft legislation and age limits
The Greek government has presented a ten-point guidance framework explaining the structure of a draft bill that establishes a minimum age limit of 15 years for social media access. The legislative provisions are scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027 throughout the country. State authorities introduced the policy to shield minors from digital addiction and the specific safety risks linked to early social media exposure. The draft establishes an administrative rule for determining age, stipulating that all children born within the same calendar year are deemed to reach the age threshold on 1 January. This calendar-year rule simplifies age determination for educational cohorts and platform operators. The proposed law establishes a statutory bar preventing minors under 15 from opening or holding social media accounts on commercial platforms operating in Greece.
Technical requirements for age verification
Under the draft framework, digital platform operators are required to employ reliable, effective, and proportionate age-verification mechanisms. The legislation avoids prescribing a single mandatory verification method, leaving technical implementation flexible for service providers. Platforms must utilize technologies that minimize data collection, prevent unnecessary personal data storage, and protect user privacy. Greek authorities pointed to the state digital identity applications, specifically Gov.gr Wallet and the dedicated Kids.gov.gr Wallet, as suitable examples that satisfy regulatory standards. Both tools are engineered to align with European Union requirements regarding data minimization, reliability, and privacy protection. Social media companies remain free to deploy alternative technical solutions or commercial identity tools, provided they comply with European Union law and formal European technical specifications.
- Greek government publishes 10-point framework outlining draft law provisions
- Social media age limit of 15 enters into force across Greece
The European Union regulatory context
Greece's national initiative coincides with broader European regulatory efforts under the developing EU KIDS Act. The European framework features a significantly wider scope of application than the Greek draft law. While the Greek legislation focuses directly on commercial social media platforms, the EU KIDS Act covers video-sharing services, online gaming platforms, and digital application stores. The European proposal also extends regulatory oversight to artificial intelligence software, including conversational AI assistants and AI companions. Under the EU model, regulatory obligations differ according to the service category and the specific risk profile of each digital product. Greek officials structured their draft bill to address social media addiction directly while maintaining regulatory alignment with emerging European Union digital standards ahead of the 2027 rollout.
