Greece plans to ban children under 15 from accessing social media from 1 January 2027 under a new government bill aimed at protecting minors from risks in the digital environment.
State Minister Akis Skertsos, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis and Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Minister Dimitris Papastergiou announced the proposed legislation at an interministerial press conference in Athens. The bill would require social media platforms to verify users’ ages and prevent children below the age threshold from accessing their services.
Under the proposed age-calculation system, authorities will treat 1 January as the reference birth date for each year to align eligibility with school grades. Consequently, from 1 January 2027, children born in 2013 or later would not be allowed to access social media.
Skertsos said the government would introduce the bill to the relevant parliamentary committee on Tuesday, 13 October, for examination and consultation with stakeholders. The government aims to bring the legislation before Parliament’s plenary session for a vote on 22 October.
He said the government had consulted the relevant European authorities to ensure that the proposal complies with the existing European regulatory framework.
“We are not deviating in the slightest from the European regulatory framework,” Skertsos said.
Kids Wallet to support age verification
The proposed system places responsibility for age verification on social media platforms, with digital tools such as Kids Wallet helping users confirm whether they meet the age requirement.
Digital Governance Minister Papastergiou explained that Kids Wallet would not transmit a user’s date of birth to platforms. Instead, it would provide a digital signal indicating whether the user falls above or below the age threshold.
The system aims to minimise the sharing of personal data while maintaining reliable age verification.
When a platform cannot confidently establish a user’s age, it could display a QR code for the user to scan through Kids Wallet or Gov.gr Wallet to complete the verification process.
From 1 January 2027, platforms would have to lock accounts they know belong to users under 15. If they cannot establish a user’s age with sufficient confidence, they would need to request verification through the digital system.
Papastergiou said the approach would shift responsibility from parents to technology companies.
“Parents will no longer have to run around locking their children’s phones using various applications. The responsibility for verification and enforcement will now fall on the platforms,” he said.
Platforms would need to use their available data and algorithms to assess users’ ages and seek additional verification when necessary.
Authorities examine ways to prevent VPN circumvention
The government also acknowledges the technical challenges involved in preventing children from bypassing age restrictions through virtual private networks (VPNs), which can make internet connections appear to originate from another country.
Papastergiou said officials were examining additional indicators, including Greek mobile telephone numbers, browser language settings and IP addresses, to identify cases requiring further verification.
For example, a user whose connection appears to originate overseas but who uses a Greek mobile number or Greek-language browser settings could trigger additional checks.
The minister said technical specialists, relevant authorities and social media companies were working together to examine potential ways of addressing these circumvention methods.
Instagram, Facebook and TikTok among the platforms targeted
The initial focus includes Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, although Papastergiou stressed that the list of services covered by the legislation remains open and could evolve.
The government says the proposal targets social media rather than internet access or technology as a whole. Its stated objective is to reduce children’s exposure to harmful content and practices that encourage excessive use while preserving access to digital services needed for communication, education and everyday activities.
Papastergiou said European authorities were also developing a changing list of services that could fall within the scope of future restrictions.
The proposed rules would operate within the framework of the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Breaches could trigger the supervisory procedures and penalties provided under European law.
Papastergiou said fines under the DSA could reach 6% of a platform’s global annual turnover. Complaints would activate the relevant oversight procedures, with the European regulatory mechanisms applying to very large online platforms.
Skertsos calls for greater accountability from technology companies
Skertsos said the legislation aims to establish clear rules for technology companies so that children’s safety does not depend solely on individual family decisions.
He argued that platforms collect extensive information about users’ preferences and behaviour and use algorithms to personalise the content they display. In his view, these practices create particular risks for minors, who have not yet fully developed their capacity for self-regulation.
The minister described the relationship as a form of “digital asymmetry”, in which technology companies possess extensive information about users and use it to tailor their online experiences.
“Is the self-regulation of businesses enough? Is the self-regulation of technology companies enough? The answer is no,” he said.
Skertsos cited a settlement involving Meta and US authorities, which he placed in late August 2024, as an example of the wider debate over technology companies’ responsibilities for protecting children. He argued that the case reinforced the need for rules that do not rely exclusively on companies’ voluntary decisions.
He stressed that the government’s initiative does not oppose technology itself, which remains important for education, information, entertainment and social interaction.
The minister also referred to research and European data suggesting that at least one in five, or one in four, children may face risks involving harmful online content, cyberbullying or age-inappropriate social media use. He cautioned that these findings do not mean every child who uses social media will develop a digital addiction.
Skertsos said Greece aims to become the first European country to introduce comparable legislation. He added that the government had consulted European authorities to ensure the proposal remains compatible with existing EU rules.
He also highlighted existing Greek digital initiatives, including Kids Wallet, parco.gov.gr, the stopbullying.gov.gr school bullying reporting platform, the Safe Youth application and the Panic Button service for domestic violence cases.
According to Skertsos, Greece raised the issue at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2024 and subsequently engaged with the European Commission. He also referred to a European initiative announced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in September 2026 to strengthen protections for minors.
The minister cited Australia’s social media restrictions for children as another example of government action, while stressing that Greece must operate within the EU’s regulatory framework.
Georgiadis highlights concerns over children’s mental health
Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis focused on the potential effects of social media on children’s mental health, citing research on teenagers’ digital habits.
He said more than half of secondary school students began using social media between the ages of 10 and 12, while one in four reported excessive use. According to figures he presented, 23% of 15-year-olds experience nervousness or insecurity when they cannot access their mobile phones.
“According to figures from Eurostat and the OECD, one in four says they use social media excessively,” Georgiadis said, describing the findings as concerning.
He also cited figures indicating that 17% of children aged 11 to 15 experienced online harassment during 2021–2022. In addition, one in five 15-year-olds reportedly neglected other activities, including sport and hobbies, because of social media use.
Georgiadis said one in four teenagers had experienced distress after someone shared their personal information online without their consent.
He stressed that digital addiction can affect adults as well as children, but warned that excessive use at a young age could have particularly significant consequences for personality development and social relationships.
“At a very young age, it becomes far more dangerous because it shapes their character and can influence their entire future lives, their interpersonal relationships and the way they integrate into society,” he said.
The health minister also announced a programme to address digital addiction through the National Organisation for the Prevention and Treatment of Addictions, using funding from the EU’s National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF).
A dedicated telephone helpline, 1145, is also available for children, parents and adults seeking assistance with digital addiction and other dependencies, he said.
Georgiadis added that the proposed age restriction forms part of a broader effort to address digital dependency. He argued that a legal age threshold could also support parents who struggle to impose limits at home when children have developed strong attachments to their phones and social media.
Greece prepares legislation within the EU framework
The three ministers presented the proposal as part of a broader government strategy to protect minors, following measures such as restrictions on mobile phone use in schools and the development of digital safety tools.
Papastergiou said the government was relying on the existing Digital Services Act while monitoring further European initiatives concerning children’s online safety.
He clarified that the proposed EU Kids Act does not yet constitute European legislation. Instead, it represents a developing set of principles for protecting children online, which European authorities are expected to refine over the coming months.
“Building on existing legislation, I believe we can and must take measures,” Papastergiou said, arguing that authorities should not delay action.
He also referred to Article 27 of the Digital Services Act and the consultation process conducted through the EU’s Technical Regulations Information System (TRIS) between May and August.
The government aims to implement the proposed age limit within the existing European legal framework while further EU measures remain under development.
If Parliament approves the bill on the government’s proposed timetable, the restrictions would take effect on 1 January 2027, making social media platforms responsible for enforcing the minimum age requirement.
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