Greece bans social media for children under 15
The Greek parliament has set an age limit that is due to apply from 2027.
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Greece has adopted a ban on access to certain social-media services for children under the age of 15. The ban is due to take effect on 1 January 2027. Parliament passed the bill by a majority on Thursday, after only the governing party fully supported the text.
The new law targets online social networks and places primary responsibility on the platforms. Under the proposal, they must use reliable and proportionate methods to verify users’ ages.
The government says the measure is intended to protect children from addictive use, cyberbullying and exposure to unsuitable content. Athens also points to concerns about sleep, concentration and the influence of recommendation algorithms.
The precise implementation will be important. Age verification may require personal data, while the Greek government says privacy must be protected. The bill mentions digital age credentials and existing government tools as possible aids.
According to Greek public broadcaster ERT, the opposition was divided. PASOK abstained, while Syriza, KKE and other opposition parties voted against. The law has therefore been passed, but the opposition did not support it unanimously.
The Greek regulation is part of a broader European debate about the minimum age for social media. The European Commission is working on proposals to protect minors online, but national rules may differ in age limits, enforcement and the services to which they apply.
The Greek decision will not directly change anything for users in the Netherlands. However, the law could set a precedent for other European countries and for how platforms must organise age verification technically and legally.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The Greek parliament has passed a bill setting an age limit of 15.
- The law is due to apply from 1 January 2027.
- The platforms will have a role in age verification.
- The Greek opposition voted in a divided manner.
Left
Arguments The state must protect children from business models that reward attention and prolonged use. Without strong platform responsibility, the costs of online risks will fall mainly on families and children.
Values Children’s rights, public health, privacy and limiting commercial power.
Consequences A ban could reduce harmful exposure, but it must be accompanied by strong privacy safeguards and accessible alternatives for young people.
Centre
Arguments An age limit may be defensible, but only with clear exceptions, independent oversight rules and workable age verification.
Values Proportionality, legal certainty, parental responsibility and digital safety.
Consequences A gradual introduction and evaluation could prevent the measure from being easily circumvented or unintentionally collecting large amounts of personal data.
Right
Arguments Parents should primarily decide what their children do online. A general state limit places responsibility with the government and companies, when it could better lie with families.
Values Individual freedom, parental responsibility and restrained government.
Consequences A ban could encourage circumvention and impose substantial monitoring obligations and higher costs on platforms.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article’s core is based on the Greek parliamentary record and public broadcaster ERT. The precise technical implementation is rightly described as uncertain.
- confirmed The Greek parliament passed a bill banning social media for children under 15. — Reported by ERT and included in the parliamentary record. source
- confirmed The regulation is due to come into force on 1 January 2027. — Mentioned in the Greek bill and the ministry’s explanatory notes. source
- confirmed The opposition did not unanimously support the law. — ERT describes the different voting positions of opposition parties. source
Editor's note
The vote and the age limit have been confirmed. The practical implementation, precise list of platforms and implications for privacy have not yet been worked out.Sources
- Het Griekse parlement behandelt het wetsvoorstel over sociale media — Hellenic Parliament
- Parlement stemt verbod op sociale media voor jongeren onder vijftien — ERT News
- Wetsvoorstel over toegang van minderjarigen tot sociale media — Grieks ministerie van Volksgezondheid
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „griekenland sociale media”
- De Telegraaf — „griekenland sociale media”
- de Volkskrant — „griekenland sociale media”