Greece Mandates Digital Gatekeeping for Underage Users Starting Next Year
A new Greek law requires social platforms to verify ages before 2027, setting a precedent for the region.
By Jabari Long ·
European digital policy has long relied on collective action, but Athens has decided to move first. Greece’s parliament has officially approved a measure that prohibits children under the age of fifteen from using major social media platforms, a move that places the nation at the forefront of a contentious regulatory shift across the continent.
The legislation takes effect on January 1, 2027. It applies to widely used services including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. The law requires these platforms to implement age verification methods that are both reliable and proportionate. Compliance is not voluntary; failure to adhere to the new standards will result in fines under the existing EU Digital Services Act. This creates a direct financial incentive for tech giants to overhaul their current user verification systems.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the bill as difficult but necessary when he first announced the initiative earlier this year. Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister for digital governance and AI, emphasized the urgency of the situation. He noted that it would have been easier to wait for a perfect European law, but he argued that a responsible government must act while children continue to spend increasing amounts of time online. Papastergiou stated that the government felt obliged to intervene rather than remain passive.
The enforcement mechanism involves a unique partnership between the state and parents. Families will be required to download specific apps, such as Kids Wallet or Gov.gr, which pair with their child’s device to block access. These tools utilize age tokens, a technology designed to confirm a user’s age while minimizing the amount of personal data disclosed. This approach aims to balance the need for verification with the protection of privacy, a common concern in digital policy debates.
The path to passage was not without political friction. Minority parties opposed the bill, leading Mitsotakis to rely on his majority to push it through. However, public sentiment appears to be on the government’s side. Opinion polls indicate that the adult population widely supports the ban. This follows a previous 2024 decision to ban mobile phones in schools, suggesting a broader national trend toward limiting young people’s digital exposure.
The stakes extend beyond Greek borders. Mitsotakis has 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 currently stipulates an outright ban only for children under thirteen. With Australia serving as the first nation to enact a full social media ban, though with challenges in implementation, Greece’s move may influence how the bloc defines its own standards for child online safety in the coming years.
