Greece Bans Social Media for Under-15s Starting 2027

European Union members are beginning to act on children’s screen time, and Greece has moved first.

Parliament in Athens approved a law on October 23, 2026, that prohibits social media access for children under 15. The rule takes effect on January 1, 2027. This follows a pledge made earlier this year by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. He called the bill "difficult but necessary." The ban covers TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X.

Minister Dimitris Papastergiou, who oversees digital governance and artificial intelligence, argued that waiting for a unified European rule would have been too slow. He noted that children are increasingly immersed in the internet daily. He stated that a responsible government must act now rather than waiting for perfect legislation. The ministry will require platforms to implement age verification methods that are proportionate and reliable.

Parents will manage their children’s access through two new government apps: Kids Wallet or Gov.gr. These tools must be paired with a child’s device to block restricted services. Papastergiou said the apps are designed to protect privacy by collecting minimal data. They will use "age tokens" to verify a user's age without exposing personal details. Companies that fail to meet these standards face fines under the EU's Digital Services Act.

The bill passed on the strength of the ruling government’s majority. Minority parties in parliament opposed the measure. This move continues a trend in the country that banned mobile phones in schools in 2024. Recent opinion polls show that most Greek adults support the new restrictions on social media use.

Mitsotakis said his administration aims to encourage the rest of the European Union to follow suit. The European Commission recently proposed the EU Kids Act, which targets children under 13 for a similar ban. Greece’s law covers a wider age group by banning access for those under 15.

Australia remains the first country to enact a full social media ban for children. However, implementing age verification there has been difficult. Greece’s new system of state-backed apps will now test whether this specific approach can solve the verification challenges that other nations have faced.