GREEK Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis plans to restrict children’s access to social media, proposing a ban for users younger than 15 and signaling an effort to push similar rules across the European Union, according to a report by Chris Donkin of Mobile World Live.
In a video statement, Mitsotakis cited growing parental concerns about the impact of social media on minors, including addiction risks and pressure to remain constantly online.
The proposed regulation is set for introduction in mid-2026, with implementation targeted for January 2027. Mitsotakis said the measure would position Greece among the first countries in Europe to impose such restrictions, adding it would likely not be the last as momentum builds for broader regional action.
As part of that push, Mitsotakis wrote to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, urging the bloc to establish a unified framework to support national policies. Proposals include an EU-wide pilot for age-verification systems and stricter enforcement of age-based access rules.
The move comes amid a wider global shift to regulate minors’ use of digital platforms.
Australia set a precedent in December 2025 with some of the strictest restrictions to date, introducing legislation requiring social media platforms to enforce minimum age limits, backed by mandatory age verification and significant penalties for noncompliance. The policy effectively bars younger children from accessing major platforms without verified parental consent, placing legal responsibility on companies rather than users.
In Asia, several governments are exploring or tightening similar controls, though approaches vary.
China has implemented one of the most comprehensive regimes, limiting minors’ screen time and requiring real-name registration across platforms. Gaming restrictions, including curfews and capped hours, have been extended to social media and short-form video services.
South Korea and Japan have taken softer regulatory approaches, focusing on parental controls, platform accountability, and digital well-being guidelines rather than outright bans. Meanwhile, Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia and Vietnam, are reviewing age-verification frameworks and content safeguards as concerns about youth mental health and online harms grow.
Spain and France have also indicated plans to strengthen restrictions on children’s social media use, aligning with a broader European trend toward tighter digital governance.
Analysts say that while outright bans remain contentious, policy direction is shifting toward holding platforms accountable for age verification, content moderation, and design features that may contribute to compulsive use among minors.
For Greece, the proposed ban is both a domestic policy response and a strategic move to influence EU regulation — an attempt to translate national concern into bloc-wide standards in an increasingly fragmented digital landscape.