Greek families face new rules for teen social media use starting next year

For households in Greece with children under the age of 15, the way young people access popular digital platforms will change significantly at the start of next year. Beginning January 1, 2027, parents will be required to install specific government-endorsed applications on their children's devices. These tools are designed to restrict access to major social media networks, marking a shift from parental discretion to a legally mandated framework for digital supervision.

The legislation, which was passed by the Greek parliament and signed into law by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, targets services including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. The core requirement is that these platforms must implement age-verification methods that are both proportionate and reliable. This makes Greece one of the first countries within the European Union to impose such a specific ban on minors under 15.

To enforce these rules, the state has developed two apps: Kids Wallet and Gov.gr. Parents must download these applications and link them to their child's device to block social media access. According to Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister for digital governance and AI, these apps are engineered to protect user privacy. They utilize "age tokens" to verify a child's age while minimizing the amount of personal data disclosed to third parties, addressing common concerns about surveillance and data collection.

Papastergiou emphasized the urgency of the measure, noting that waiting for a broader European solution was not an option. "It would have been very easy to do absolutely nothing today and wait for the perfect European law," Papastergiou stated. He added that the current trend of children "sinking into the internet every day" means a responsible government is obligated to act now rather than delaying intervention.

The path to enactment was not without political friction. Minority parties in the parliament opposed the bill, leading Prime Minister Mitsotakis to rely on his majority to push it through. He had previously described the measure as "difficult but necessary." This legislative step follows an earlier 2024 decision by Greece to ban mobile phones in schools, suggesting a broader governmental strategy to limit children's exposure to digital devices during their formative years.

Public sentiment appears to align with the government's position, as opinion polls indicate widespread support among Greek adults for the new ban. However, the implementation details raise questions about consistency with other regions. While Australia was the first nation to enact a similar full social media ban for kids, it has faced significant challenges in rolling out effective age-verification systems. Greece’s approach aims to avoid these pitfalls through its specific app-based enforcement model.

The stakes extend beyond national borders, as the Greek government aims to influence broader European policy. Mitsotakis has stated that the goal is to push the EU in the same direction. The European Commission has recently introduced the EU Kids Act, which aligns with this ambition but currently stipulates an outright ban only for children under 13. By setting the threshold at 15, Greece is positioning itself to potentially lead the way, though it also faces the risk of creating a regulatory gap if the EU standard remains lower.

Non-compliance with the new act will not be a minor oversight. Platforms that fail to meet the age-verification requirements are subject to fines under the EU’s Digital Services Act. This financial pressure ensures that tech companies have a strong incentive to adopt the necessary verification technologies. For ordinary families, the coming months will likely be a period of adjustment as they navigate the new digital landscape and determine how these state-backed tools fit into their daily routines.