Under the proposed legislation, anyone under the age of 15 would be barred from using social media, with parents or guardians required to install an app enforcing the restriction across all devices — whether they agree with the reform or not. The ban will come up in parliament during the summer and is expected to take effect from Jan. 1, 2027.
Mitsotakis said that even though the measures might seem unfair, they were necessary to protect kids’ mental health.
In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the prime minister called for collective action at European level, as national action alone will not suffice.
“European framework must be in place by the end of 2026 in order to complement and strengthen necessary national initiatives for the protection of minors,” the Greek leader wrote.
Some of the proposals Mitsotakis outlined in his letter include an EU-wide age-verification pilot; setting a European “Digital Age of Majority” at 15; requiring platforms to verify users’ age every two years to ensure continuous compliance; and creating a streamlined EU-level coordination and enforcement mechanism.
Australia in December became the first country to ban under-16s from using social media platforms and has called for global support to shift the laws regulating how kids use these sites.