Greece bans children under 15 from social media

Greece’s parliament approved a law that prohibits users younger than 15 from using major social‑media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X, with the ban taking effect on January 1 2027. The legislation follows Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s earlier announcement that the measure was “difficult but necessary” and makes Greece one of the first EU countries to impose a child‑specific social‑media ban.

Scope of the ban

The law requires platforms to confirm users’ ages through reliable verification methods. When a service cannot verify a user’s age, it will present a QR code that must be scanned with the government‑backed Kids Wallet app, which simply indicates whether the user is over or under 15 without revealing personal data. Failure to comply will trigger fines under the EU Digital Services Act, and parents will be expected to install the app on their child’s device to block access.

The bill passed after a debate of more than 16 hours, with only the governing New Democracy party voting in favor, PASOK abstaining and five other opposition parties voting against. Greece’s move follows Australia’s earlier ban; France’s attempt was struck down, and the UK is preparing its own rules, while the European Commission is drafting its own Kids Act that Greece plans to adapt.