Greece Announces Social Media Ban for Children Under 15 Starting in 2027

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Wednesday that Greece will ban children under the age of 15 from accessing social media platforms starting January 1, 2027, describing the measure as "difficult but necessary." Mitsotakis made the announcement in a video posted on TikTok, addressing young people directly and accusing the platforms of using addictive design to capture their attention. The legislation is set to come before parliament during the summer of 2026 before taking effect at the start of the following year. The move positions Greece among the first European countries to impose a hard age threshold on social media access.

Parents must install enforcement apps across all devices Under the proposed law, parents or guardians will be required to install an application that enforces the restriction across all devices their children use, regardless of whether the parents personally agree with the reform. Social media platforms including Instagram and TikTok will bear direct responsibility for ensuring that users under 15 do not access their services. Platforms that fail to comply face financial penalties. Mitsotakis said he had spoken with many parents who reported that their children, spending long hours on phones, suffered from sleep problems and anxiety. „I know that some of you are going to be angry. Our goal is not to distance you from technology but to fight against the addiction of certain applications that harms your innocence and your freedom.” — Kyriakos Mitsotakis via POLITICO An ALCO poll published in February 2026 found that approximately 80 (%) — Greek respondents supporting the under-15 social media ban of Greek respondents supported the ban, indicating broad public backing for the initiative.

Mitsotakis pushes Brussels for a European-wide digital age limit Mitsotakis sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calling for collective action at the European level, arguing that national measures alone are insufficient to protect minors from online addiction. He proposed establishing a "Digital Age of Majority" for the entire European Union set at 15 years of age. His proposals also include an EU-wide age-verification pilot, a requirement for platforms to re-verify users' ages every two years, and a harmonized system of penalties across member states. „European framework must be in place by the end of 2026 in order to complement and strengthen necessary national initiatives for the protection of minors.” — Kyriakos Mitsotakis via polsatnews.pl Mitsotakis expressed confidence that other EU member states would follow Greece's lead, stating that his goal was to push the European Union in this direction. According to Reuters, Slovenia, Britain, Austria, and Spain have also said they are working on similar bans.

Australia's December ban set the global precedent Greece now follows Australia became the first country in the world to legislate a social media ban for minors, passing a law in December 2024 that entered into force at the end of 2025, requiring platforms to ensure users are at least 16 years old and to delete accounts belonging to younger users. Platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Snapchat, Threads, and Twitch complied with the Australian legislation under penalty of fines. Meta, Snapchat, and TikTok have argued that such bans will not effectively protect young people. In the autumn of 2025, the European Parliament requested the establishment of a minimum age of 16 for access to social media and the banning of harmful or addictive practices, strengthening the framework for child protection across the EU. Greece's Mitsotakis government had already taken earlier steps to limit children's screen exposure before the social media ban announcement, including introducing a prohibition on mobile phone use in schools and creating parental control platforms designed to limit teenagers' screen time. A study by researchers at Imperial College London, analyzing data from 2,350 students followed between the ages of 11 and 15, found that those spending more than three hours a day on social media showed an increased risk of depression and anxiety compared to those online for approximately 30 minutes a day. The study's coordinator noted that the impact was more pronounced among girls. Mitsotakis cited scientific consensus in his announcement, stating that when a child sits in front of screens for hours, the brain does not rest. The Greek government framed the legislative measure as a tool to support, rather than replace, parental responsibility in guiding children's digital habits.

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