Greece Mandates State Apps to Block Under-15s from Social Media

Greece has positioned itself at the forefront of European digital regulation by enacting one of the first national laws to restrict young users' access to social networks. The measure targets children under the age of 15, a threshold that aligns with previous announcements made by the executive branch earlier this year. The legislation is set to become active on January 1, 2027, establishing a clear cutoff for unverified young users.

The law covers major platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. These services are required to implement age-verification systems that are both reliable and proportionate to the user's age. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis characterized the bill as "difficult but necessary" during its passage. The legal framework relies on the EU's Digital Services Act to impose fines on companies that fail to meet these compliance standards.

Digital governance and AI minister Dimitris Papastergiou defended the domestic approach, arguing that waiting for comprehensive European legislation would have resulted in inaction. "Children are sinking into the internet every day, and I believe a responsible government must do what it is obliged to do," Papastergiou stated. He emphasized that the challenge is immediate, suggesting that a government cannot afford to wait for a perfect EU-wide law.

For families, the new rules require parents to download state-backed applications known as Kids Wallet or Gov.gr. These apps pair with a child's device to block access to the designated social media services. Papastergiou explained that the software uses "age tokens" to verify user identity while minimizing the collection of personal data. This design aims to protect privacy by disclosing only the information strictly necessary to confirm a user is 15 or older.

The legislation passed through parliament via the ruling government's majority, as minority parties opposed the bill. This move follows a 2024 national ban on mobile phones in schools. Opinion polls indicate that a large portion of Greek adults support the new restriction on children's social media use. Mitsotakis has stated that the government's goal is to influence the European Union to adopt similar measures.

The European Commission recently introduced the EU Kids Act, which seeks similar protections but sets a lower age limit, calling for an outright ban only for children under 13. Australia remains the only other country to have enacted a full social media ban for children, though its implementation has faced technical difficulties in verifying ages. Greece's strategy of using state-backed apps presents a new model for addressing these verification challenges.