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Greece will introduce a ban on the use of social media for children under the age of 15 from the beginning of 2027. This was announced by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a video message posted on TikTok. In his speech, he emphasized anxiety issues, sleep disorders, and the platforms’ use of addictive mechanics as key reasons for the decision.
The country has previously demonstrated a proactive stance on limiting excessive screen use by children. In particular, in 2024, Greece banned the use of mobile phones in schools. Although the prime minister did not name specific services, he emphasized his concern that children compare themselves to others on social media and overreact to online comments.
Mitsotakis said that Greece will be one of the first countries to implement such an initiative, but, according to him, it will not be the last. He also noted that the strategic goal is to promote similar restrictions at the European Union level.
According to The New York Times, Greek Minister of Digital Governance Dimitris Papastergiou explained that companies that own social platforms will be legally obliged to enforce the new rules by checking the age of users. In case of non-compliance, they will be subject to fines under the EU Digital Services Act. In addition, parents will have to install a special state-owned Kids Wallet app that synchronizes with their child’s device and blocks access to social media. However, the final mechanisms for implementing the ban are still under development.
The prime minister acknowledged that this decision may cause discontent among the younger audience, but according to an ALCO survey released in February, the initiative has broad support among the country’s adult population. Greece joins a list of countries that have already introduced similar restrictions over the past year, including Indonesia, Austria, and Australia. At the same time, the UK is also considering tightening the rules for social media users under the age of 16.
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