Greece considers social media ban for minors under 15

The Greek Parliament is preparing to vote on October 22 regarding a bill that would ban children under the age of 15 from using major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. If the legislation passes, the ban is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.

Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou stated that the responsibility for age verification will lie with the platforms themselves. To assist in cases of uncertainty, the state-provided 'Kids Wallet' tool can be used to confirm a user's age without sharing specific personal data like birth dates. Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Messenger are expected to remain accessible to teenagers.

The regulation aligns with the European Digital Services Act (DSA). Non-compliant platforms could face significant administrative fines of up to 6% of their annual global turnover. Government officials, including Akis Skertsos and Adonis Georgiadis, emphasized that the measure aims to protect the health and development of minors through a human-centric approach to technology regulation.