Greece Bans Social Media for Children Under 15
The Greek Parliament passed a law banning children under 15 from social media starting January 1, 2027, with non-compliant companies facing heavy global turnover fines.
The Hellenic Parliament passed legislation on October 23, 2026, prohibiting children under the age of 15 from using social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The law, championed by Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the conservative New Democracy party, takes effect on January 1, 2027. Prime Minister Mitsotakis described the ban as a "difficult but necessary" measure to protect children from addictive algorithms and mental health issues.
To enforce the ban, social media companies must implement age verification systems. The government proposed the state-backed Kids Wallet app as a privacy-friendly method to confirm age without sharing personal data. Companies that fail to comply face penalties of up to 6 percent of their global annual turnover. Supervision will be handled by Greece's broadcasting council and data protection authority, while the European Commission will oversee larger platforms under the Digital Services Act.
The legislation passed after a debate lasting over 16 hours. The opposition PASOK party abstained from the vote, having proposed an alternative age limit of 13 with parental controls for 13- and 14-year-olds. Other left-wing and nationalist parties voted against the measure. Greece aims to be the first European Union member state to successfully implement such a ban, following a similar attempt in France that was ruled unconstitutional.
