Greece Sets 2027 Deadline for Strict Social Media Age Restrictions
A new national law requires platforms to verify user ages, barring children under fifteen from major social networks starting next year.
By Thiago Kovalenko ·
Greece’s social media age restriction law became official this week, establishing a clear legal framework that will take effect on January 1, 2027. The legislation mandates that major digital platforms implement robust verification methods to prevent children under the age of fifteen from accessing their services. This move positions the country as a pioneer in the European Union regarding strict age-based access controls for online social spaces.
The new law covers prominent platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. It requires these services to apply proportionate and reliable age-verification techniques to ensure compliance. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the bill as difficult but necessary when he first proposed the measure earlier this year. The enactment follows a period of legislative debate and represents a significant shift in how the nation regulates youth interaction with digital media.
Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister for digital governance and artificial intelligence, emphasized the urgency of the situation. He stated that waiting for a perfect European law was not an option while children continued to spend increasing amounts of time online. Papastergiou argued that a responsible government has an obligation to act when challenges arise in the digital sphere. This sentiment reflects the government's stance on balancing innovation with the protection of young users.
Non-compliance with the new act will result in financial penalties under the European Union's Digital Services Act. To facilitate compliance and parental control, the state has developed specific applications named Kids Wallet and Gov.gr. Parents must download these apps and pair them with their child's device to block access if necessary. The minister noted that these tools are designed to protect privacy by using age tokens, which confirm a user's age while minimizing the collection of personal data.
The legislative process was not without opposition, as minority parties in parliament opposed the measure. However, Prime Minister Mitsotakis utilized his majority to ensure the bill's passage. This follows a 2024 decision to ban mobile phones in Greek schools, indicating a broader governmental effort to manage technology use among minors. Recent opinion polls suggest that the adult population in Greece widely supports this new social media ban for children.
The Greek government aims to use this national legislation as a catalyst for broader European action. Mitsotakis has previously stated that the goal is to push the European Union in the same direction. The European Commission has recently introduced the EU Kids Act, which aligns with this objective, though it currently stipulates an outright ban only for children under the age of thirteen. Greece's stricter threshold for under-fifteens sets a distinct precedent within the bloc.
Internationally, Australia holds the distinction of being the first nation to enact a full social media ban for kids. However, the implementation of age verification in Australia has proven challenging. Greece's new law arrives as other nations grapple with the technical and privacy implications of verifying users' ages online. The upcoming January 2027 deadline will test the practicality of these verification methods and the willingness of platforms to adapt to stricter national requirements.
