Greece proposes 15-year age limit for social media access

Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis has proposed a new initiative to establish a minimum age of 15 for social media access, effective January 1, 2027. Under this proposal, digital platforms would bear the primary responsibility for reliably verifying user ages.

Addressing the need for a safer digital environment, Marinakis highlighted the importance of fostering critical thinking, reading, and writing skills to counter the risks of digital addiction and attention deficits in children. He referenced ongoing legal challenges in the United States, where 29 states have accused Meta of designing Facebook and Instagram to encourage addiction among minors.

Furthermore, the Greek proposal for a pan-European digital maturity age has reportedly secured political support from 13 EU member states. Marinakis emphasized that because digital challenges are borderless, a coordinated international response is necessary to protect children without excluding them from digital reality.