Greece Bans Social Media for Children Under 15: New Rules Begin January 1, 2027

Greece bans social media for under-15s. Greece’s parliament has approved legislation prohibiting children under the age of 15 from accessing covered social media services, with implementation scheduled to begin on January 1, 2027. The measure introduces an age-based restriction and places responsibility on social media platforms to implement reliable age-verification mechanisms.

The legislation is part of Greece’s broader strategy to protect children from online risks, including cyberbullying, harmful content, excessive screen time and potentially addictive platform design. The government has also highlighted the importance of protecting children’s mental and physical health while safeguarding users’ privacy.

The parliamentary approval was reported on October 23, 2026. The law’s practical impact will depend on implementation, the platforms covered and the effectiveness of age-verification systems.

Greece Social Media Ban: Key Highlights

What Is Greece’s Social Media Ban for Children Under 15?

• Greece’s new legislation establishes an age threshold for access to covered social networking services.
• Under the measure, children who have not reached the age of 15 will be prohibited from accessing the social media services covered by the law.
• The policy aims to reduce children’s exposure to certain online risks and address concerns about the design of digital platforms that can encourage prolonged use.
• The Greek government has argued that children require stronger protection against online harms and that responsibility should not rest exclusively with parents and young users.
• Instead, platforms will be expected to implement appropriate systems to identify users who fall below the permitted age.
• The restriction is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.

Why Has Greece Approved the Social Media Ban?

The decision follows growing international debate about the effects of social media on children and teenagers.

Governments, parents, educators and child-safety advocates have raised concerns about several issues associated with children’s online experiences.

1. Mental Health and Digital Wellbeing

• Excessive social media use has become a concern in discussions about children’s emotional and psychological wellbeing.
• The Greek government has highlighted possible links between prolonged online engagement and problems involving sleep, concentration and everyday routines.
• The effects of social media vary between individuals and depend on factors such as usage patterns, the type of content consumed and the user’s circumstances. The legislation reflects the government’s decision to introduce a specific age-based restriction as a protective measure.

2. Cyberbullying and Harmful Content

• Social media can expose young users to cyberbullying, harassment, inappropriate material and unwanted interactions.
• Age restrictions are intended to reduce younger children’s access to covered services, although they cannot eliminate every form of online harm.
• Children may still encounter digital risks through other websites, messaging services, gaming platforms or shared devices.

3. Excessive Screen Time

• Some digital services use notifications, personalised recommendations and continuous content feeds that can encourage users to spend extended periods online.
• The Greek government has identified concerns about these design features as part of its rationale for stronger regulation.
• The broader policy debate involves finding a balance between digital participation, children’s development and protection from potentially harmful online experiences.

4. Greater Responsibility for Technology Companies

• The legislation shifts significant responsibility towards social media providers.
• Rather than relying solely on parents to monitor children’s accounts, the framework requires covered platforms to establish reliable mechanisms for checking users’ ages.
• The effectiveness of this approach will depend on how platforms implement the rules and how compliance is monitored.

How Will the Social Media Ban Work?

• The measure is expected to rely on age-verification systems implemented by social media providers.
• The Greek government has identified digital tools, including Gov.gr Wallet and Kids Wallet, as possible components of a privacy-conscious verification process.
• These tools can support an approach in which a service verifies whether a user is above or below the required age without unnecessarily disclosing additional personal information.
• The precise technical arrangements will depend on the applicable implementation rules and the systems adopted by individual platforms.

Key Features of the Proposed Framework

• Age verification: Platforms must use appropriate and reliable methods to determine whether users meet the minimum age requirement.
• Existing accounts: The government has outlined plans for age re-verification of existing accounts, meaning accounts may also need to be checked rather than relying only on the age entered during registration.
• Privacy protection: The government has highlighted age-verification approaches designed to disclose only the information necessary to confirm whether a user meets the age threshold.
• Regulatory oversight: Greek authorities will monitor compliance under the relevant national and European digital-services framework.

These mechanisms are intended to make the age restriction enforceable while limiting unnecessary collection or disclosure of personal data.

What Is Kids Wallet, and What Role Could It Play?

• Kids Wallet is a Greek digital tool associated with parental controls and child protection.
• In the context of the social media restrictions, the government has highlighted it as a possible way to help verify whether a user is below or above the age threshold.
• A privacy-conscious age-verification system aims to confirm eligibility without sharing a person’s full identity or date of birth with every service.
• However, the practical experience will depend on the final implementation, platform compatibility and the applicable privacy safeguards.

Which Social Media Platforms Will Be Affected?

• The Greek government’s policy framework focuses on social networking services where users create profiles, publish content and interact publicly.
• The final treatment of individual services depends on the legal definitions and implementation rules.
• Popular services such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat and X are relevant examples when discussing the wider policy debate, but their precise legal treatment should be confirmed against the applicable official rules.
• It would be inaccurate to assume that every online service is automatically covered by the same restriction.
• The government has distinguished covered social networking services from private communication services. The exact scope should be checked against the final legislation and official guidance.

Will Parents Be Able to Give Permission for Children Under 15 to Use Social Media?

• The government’s published framework describes an age-based restriction rather than a system in which parental permission automatically overrides the minimum age.
• Accordingly, parents should not assume that their consent will exempt a child from the restriction.
• The applicable legal text and official implementation guidance remain the authoritative sources for determining how the rule applies to particular accounts and services.
• The policy represents a shift towards platform-level age enforcement rather than relying entirely on individual parental decisions.

What Happens to Existing Social Media Accounts?

• The Greek government has outlined a requirement for platforms to re-verify the ages of existing users.
• This means the restriction is not intended to apply only to people opening new accounts after the implementation date.
• Platforms will need to determine whether existing accounts belong to users who meet the legal age threshold.
• Accounts identified as belonging to children below the permitted age may lose access to covered services under the applicable rules.
• The exact procedures, verification deadlines and treatment of disputed age assessments will depend on the implementation arrangements.

When Will the Greece Social Media Ban Begin?

• The implementation date is January 1, 2027.
• The legislation was approved by the Greek parliament in October 2026, establishing the basis for the new age restriction.
• The period before implementation gives platforms time to prepare their age-verification systems and comply with the applicable requirements.
• The government has also connected the initiative with wider discussions about digital safety and the need for coordinated approaches across the European Union.

How Will the Law Be Enforced?

• The framework places the main responsibility for age verification on the social media platforms covered by the measure.
• Greek authorities will oversee compliance under the relevant regulatory arrangements.
• The government has identified the National Telecommunications and Post Commission, known by its Greek abbreviation EETT, alongside other relevant authorities, as part of the oversight framework.
• European digital-services rules may also be relevant when enforcement involves platforms established in other EU member states.
• The applicable enforcement process and penalties depend on the final legislation and the relevant legal procedures.

Greece’s Social Media Ban and the European Union

• Greece’s policy forms part of a wider European discussion about protecting minors online.
• European governments have been exploring approaches to age verification, parental controls, safer platform design and restrictions on children’s access to particular online services.
• Greece has also advocated greater coordination at the European level.
• However, a national law and a European Union-wide measure are separate legal developments. Greece’s legislation should not be described as automatically applying across every EU member state.
• The broader debate concerns how to balance child protection, privacy, freedom of expression, access to information and the practical enforcement of age limits.

Countries With Social Media Bans or Restrictions

What About India?

• India does not have a nationwide blanket ban on social media for children under 15.
• However, Karnataka announced restrictions on social media use for children under 16 in March 2026.
• Other Indian states have also discussed similar measures.
• The precise scope and implementation should be checked against the relevant state government’s official notifications.

Click Here To Read: UAE Sets Minimum Social Media Age at 15, Mandates Strict Age Verification Checks
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Click Here To Read: Karnataka to Ban Social Media for Children Under 16