Greece mandates digital age checks for under-15s starting next year

Greece’s parliament has officially approved a measure that prohibits children under the age of 15 from using major social media platforms, a rule that takes effect on January 1, 2027. This legislation marks a significant shift in European digital policy, positioning the country as one of the first in the Union to impose such a specific age barrier. The law targets popular services including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X, requiring them to implement reliable and proportionate methods for verifying user age before granting full access.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who originally proposed the measure earlier this year, described the bill as difficult but necessary. He relied on his majority in parliament to push the legislation forward, a move that faced opposition from minority parties. The political will behind the law is strong, with recent opinion polls indicating that the adult population in Greece widely supports the new restrictions. This follows a broader trend in the country, which already banned mobile phones in schools in 2024, suggesting a sustained effort to limit digital exposure for the young.

The practical enforcement of the ban rests on a mix of technological standards and parental oversight. Under the new rules, parents are required to download state-backed applications such as Kids Wallet or Gov.gr onto their children’s devices. These apps are designed to block access to social platforms unless proper age verification is complete. Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister for digital governance and artificial intelligence, emphasized the privacy focus of these tools. He noted that they use age tokens to confirm a user's status while minimizing the amount of personal data that must be disclosed to platforms.

Compliance with the new standards is not merely a suggestion; failure to adhere to the act will result in fines under the existing EU Digital Services Act. Papastergiou argued that inaction was no longer an option for a responsible government. He stated that children are sinking into the internet every day, and while waiting for a perfect European law might have been easier, the challenge exists now and demands immediate action from the state.

The Greek move is also intended to influence broader continental policy. Mitsotakis has stated that his government aims to push the European Union in the same direction. The European Commission has recently introduced the EU Kids Act, which aligns with this goal but currently stipulates an outright ban only for children under 13. Greece’s decision to set the threshold at 15 may encourage other nations to reconsider their own age limits and verification strategies.

Despite the clear legislative victory, questions remain about the technical feasibility of the system. Australia was the first nation to enact a full social media ban for kids, and its experience suggests that age verification can be a challenging process to implement effectively. As Greece prepares for the January 2027 deadline, it will be watching closely to see if its new model can overcome the hurdles that have complicated similar efforts elsewhere.