Greece Restricts Minors Online

Greece's prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has steered legislation through parliament that bars minors under 15 from accessing major social networks. The measure, which Mitsotakis previously characterized as difficult but necessary, was enacted on Thursday. It establishes a requirement for platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X to implement robust methods for confirming user ages.

The timeline of this development began earlier this year when Mitsotakis first floated the proposal. Following that announcement, the bill proceeded to the legislature for debate. Minority parties in Greece voiced their opposition to the proposal. However, the ruling government maintained a majority, which allowed the legislation to pass without further obstruction.

The specific mechanics of how the state intends to manage this restriction involve parental oversight. Parents are expected to install state-backed applications, either Kids Wallet or Gov.gr, onto their children's devices. According to digital governance and AI minister Dimitris Papastergiou, these applications will block access while utilizing age tokens to confirm eligibility. Papastergiou stated that the system is designed to protect privacy and minimize the data collected during the verification process.

Compliance with this new act carries potential consequences. Platforms that fail to adhere to the requirements will face fines under the European Union's Digital Services Act. This places the enforcement mechanism within the broader framework of EU regulations, even as the specific ban applies only to Greek territory for now.

The timeline moves forward to January 1, 2027, which marks the scheduled commencement of the enforcement period. Until that date, the necessary age verification systems must be put in place. Prior to this legislation, Greece had already taken steps to limit technology in educational settings, having barred mobile phones in schools in 2024. Polling indicates that the adult population broadly supports the current restrictions on minors.

Looking ahead, the situation involves broader regional efforts to regulate digital access for young people. The European Commission has introduced the EU Kids Act, though that legislation sets the threshold for an outright ban at age 13. Mitsotakis has expressed a desire to push the European Union toward stricter measures. Greece is not the first nation to attempt this, as Australia previously enacted a full social media ban for kids, though reports indicate that implementing age verification there has proven difficult.