ATHENS — The Greek government is set to ban children under the age of 15 from using social media platforms.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the draft law by addressing young people directly in a TikTok video, where he accused “the addictive design of some apps” and their “profit model that’s based on your attention” of taking away “some of your innocence and freedom.”
“I am certain that many of you … will be angry with me,” he added.
Under the proposed legislation, anyone under the age of 15 would be barred from using social media, with parents or guardians required to install an app enforcing the restriction across all devices — whether they agree with the reform or not. The ban will come up in parliament during the summer and is expected to take effect from Jan. 1, 2027.
Mitsotakis said that even though the measures might seem unfair, they were necessary to protect kids’ mental health.
In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the prime minister called for collective action at European level, as national action alone will not suffice.
“European framework must be in place by the end of 2026 in order to complement and strengthen necessary national initiatives for the protection of minors,” the Greek leader wrote.
Some of the proposals Mitsotakis outlined in his letter include an EU-wide age-verification pilot; setting a European “Digital Age of Majority” at 15; requiring platforms to verify users’ age every two years to ensure continuous compliance; and creating a streamlined EU-level coordination and enforcement mechanism.
Australia in December became the first country to ban under-16s from using social media platforms and has called for global support to shift the laws regulating how kids use these sites.
And multiple European countries are looking to do the same.
France’s national parliament is examining a law to implement a ban for kids under 15, while the German government expressed interest in a similar ban. Denmark is working on legislation that could become law as early as this year, and Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in February he was working on a ban.
The European Parliament has also urged the European Commission to propose an EU-wide ban, though critics say it may present issues for children’s human rights.