January 1, 2027: The date Greek children under 15 lose social media access

Starting on January 1, 2027, children in Greece who are under the age of 15 will no longer be able to access major social media platforms without specific verification. This change marks a significant shift in how minors interact with digital networks in the country, as the new legislation officially bans their use of services like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X unless age-verification requirements are met. For families, this means a mandatory update to how children’s devices are managed, moving from a self-regulatory model to one enforced by national law.

The measure, which was announced earlier this year by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has now been enacted by parliament. While the government described the step as difficult but necessary, it places Greece among the first nations in the European Union to impose such a restriction. The law mandates that social media services must employ proportionate and reliable methods to verify the age of their users, ensuring that those under 15 are effectively blocked from the platforms.

To enforce this, parents will be required to download specific state-supported applications known as Kids Wallet or Gov.gr. These apps must be paired directly with their child’s device to block access to social media. According to Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister for digital governance and AI, these tools are designed to protect privacy. They utilize a system called “age tokens” to confirm a user’s age while minimizing the amount of personal data disclosed, aiming to reduce the digital footprint of minors.

Papastergiou emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that children are increasingly sinking into the internet daily. He argued that a responsible government must act rather than waiting for a perfect European law, noting that doing nothing was an easy option but no longer viable. The minister highlighted that the government is obligated to address the challenge immediately to protect young users.

If social media companies fail to comply with the new act, they face fines under the EU’s Digital Services Act. The legislation was passed using the majority support of the governing coalition, despite opposition from minority parties. This move follows a 2024 decision to ban mobile phones in schools, indicating a broader governmental trend toward limiting digital exposure for youth. Opinion polls suggest that the adult population in Greece widely supports this new social media restriction.

The Greek government views this national law as a stepping stone for the wider region. Mitsotakis has stated that the goal is to push the European Union in the same direction. While the European Commission recently introduced the EU Kids Act, that framework currently only mandates an outright ban for children under 13. Australia remains the first country to enact a full social media ban for kids, though it has faced challenges in implementing effective age verification, a hurdle Greece aims to navigate through its new app-based system.