The Greek parliament has passed a law banning children under the age of 15 from using social media. The legislation comes into force on 1 January 2027, and the responsibility for verifying users' ages will lie with the platforms themselves.
The decision was made due to growing concern over the impact of social media on children's health and safety. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that platforms have a deadline of two and a half months to develop a system for verifying users' ages and ensuring the protection of their privacy.
Greece is one of seven European Union member states collaborating with the European Commission on a solution for user age verification. This move aligns with Union-level efforts to find a common framework for protecting minors online.
The Government emphasises that this measure aims to help parents curb so-called infinite scrolling. It notes that this phenomenon deprives children of sleep, impairs concentration and takes away time for socialising with friends.
Greece thus follows the example of Australia, which last year became the first country to legally restrict social media access for minors. Conversely, in France, the Constitutional Court struck down a similar law in August, indicating that such measures face legal challenges in certain countries.
