Greece passed legislation today barring children younger than 15 from social media, with the restrictions taking effect January 1, 2027, according to Proton VPN. Social media companies will be responsible for verifying ages, putting the enforcement burden on the services children use. Children who already have accounts will also fall under the restrictions, and permission from a parent will not provide an exemption.
The potential reach extends beyond children: plans outlined in April called for platforms to verify every user's age again across Greece, including adults. The government says its Kids Wallet provides an answer about whether someone meets the age threshold without disclosing their birth date or identity information. Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Minister Dimitris Papastergiou says the platform receives only an indication of which side of the limit the user falls on.
Opposition to the checks includes 25 organizations spanning digital rights, mental health and child protection, which submitted a letter running 19 pages in May. They warned that identity verification and digital wallets could erode anonymity and enable persistent monitoring of internet use. The groups also argued that scientists, families, teachers and children had lacked a meaningful opportunity to shape the plan.
The organizations questioned why YouTube appeared excluded and warned that smaller community services, including Mastodon, could be caught by the restrictions. They also raised concerns that children could shift toward unregulated services or VPNs, potentially increasing risks to their data. Papastergiou acknowledged a possible enforcement weakness involving parents completing a child's verification with their own identification.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis first outlined the ban on April 8, pointing to anxiety, disrupted sleep and platform designs intended to encourage compulsive use. The government delayed bringing its proposal to Parliament by two months while the European Union prepared rules for children online, according to Papastergiou. Only the governing New Democracy party supported passage after a debate exceeding 16 hours; PASOK abstained.
Australia's under-16 social media ban has been in force since December 10, 2025. France's parliament approved an under-15 ban in July 2026, but its Constitutional Council overturned it in August. Papastergiou says Greece will revise its legislation after the European Union adopts its planned EU Kids Act.
