Athens Restricts Youth Online Access

While the European Union continues to deliberate on a unified framework for digital child safety, national governments have begun acting independently to fill the regulatory gap. Greece has officially enacted legislation prohibiting social media access for children under the age of 15, marking a significant shift in how the European Union approaches digital age gates.

The measure takes effect on January 1, 2027. It applies to major platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. The law requires these services to implement age-verification methods that are both proportionate and reliable. Non-compliance will trigger fines under the existing EU Digital Services Act, creating a direct financial incentive for tech companies to adhere to the new standards.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who initially proposed the measure earlier this year, described the bill as "difficult but necessary." He noted that his government aims to push the European Union in the same direction. Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister for digital governance and AI, argued against waiting for a perfect European law, stating that children are "sinking into the internet every day" and that a responsible government must act.

To enforce the ban, parents will be required to download state-backed applications known as Kids Wallet or Gov.gr. These apps must be paired with their child’s device to block access to social media. Papastergiou explained that the system utilizes "age tokens," a mechanism designed to confirm a user's age while minimizing the disclosure of personal data and protecting privacy. This approach attempts to balance security with data protection, a complex technical challenge for the state.

The legislative path was not without contention. Minority parties in the Greek parliament opposed the bill, but the majority government pushed it through. This follows a 2024 decision to ban mobile phones in schools, suggesting a broader governmental strategy to limit digital exposure for youth. Opinion polls indicate that the new ban enjoys wide support among the adult population, providing the ruling coalition with a strong mandate despite parliamentary opposition.

The stakes extend beyond national borders as Greece positions itself as a pioneer in EU digital policy. The European Commission recently introduced the EU Kids Act, which proposes an outright ban only for children under 13. By setting the threshold at 15, Greece is adopting a more protective stance than the upcoming EU baseline. With Australia being the first nation to enact a similar full ban, Greece is now the second major economy to do so, though the implementation challenges seen in Australia suggest that verifying age without compromising user experience remains a persistent difficulty.