Greece Mandates Digital Gatekeeping for Under-15s Starting Next Year

Starting January 1, 2027, the daily digital routines of Greek households with young children will change significantly as the nation enforces a new restriction on social media usage. Parents of children under the age of fifteen will no longer be able to allow unrestricted access to popular platforms without utilizing specific government-approved software. This shift moves the responsibility of digital age verification from informal parental oversight to a mandatory technical requirement, affecting how families in the country interact with major online services.

The legislative framework targets the most widely used social networks, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. Under the new rules, these services are required to implement age-verification methods that are described as both proportionate and reliable. The law does not merely suggest best practices; it establishes a binding legal standard that platforms must meet to continue operating in the Greek market. This creates a direct compliance obligation for tech giants that serve the country's younger demographic.

To meet these standards, parents will be required to install specific applications on their children's devices. The state has designated two primary tools for this purpose: Kids Wallet and Gov.gr. These applications function as digital gatekeepers, blocking access to social media platforms unless the child's age is confirmed. The system relies on a technology referred to as "age tokens," which are designed to verify a user's age while minimizing the amount of personal data disclosed to third-party services.

Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister for digital governance and AI, emphasized the privacy-focused design of these tools. He explained that the age tokens allow for verification without requiring extensive data sharing, addressing common concerns about surveillance. Papastergiou noted that the government aimed to create a solution that protects user privacy while still achieving the core objective of limiting social media access for younger users.

The path to enactment was not without political friction. Minority parties in the Greek parliament opposed the measure, but Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis utilized his majority to push the bill through. Mitsotakis had initially announced the plan earlier in the year, characterizing the legislation as "difficult but necessary." His administration argued that waiting for a broader European Union-wide law was no longer viable given the current trends in youth internet usage.

Papastergiou provided further context on the urgency of the decision, stating that it would have been easier to delay action in hopes of a perfect EU law. However, he argued that children are increasingly immersed in the internet daily, necessitating immediate governmental responsibility. This perspective frames the national law as a proactive step rather than a reactive one, aiming to address the rapid integration of social platforms into the lives of minors.

Non-compliance with the new act carries financial consequences, as fines can be levied under the existing EU Digital Services Act. This regulatory hook ensures that platforms have a tangible incentive to implement the required verification systems. The law builds on previous domestic measures, such as the 2024 ban on mobile phones in schools, indicating a broader national strategy to manage the digital exposure of students and young people.

Public sentiment appears to align with the legislative direction, with opinion polls indicating widespread support among the adult population for the ban. This domestic consensus provides political cover for the government as it implements the policy. The move also positions Greece as a leader in the region, as it becomes one of the first nations in the European Union to impose such a specific age-based restriction on social media access.

The Greek government views this national law as a stepping stone for broader European regulation. Mitsotakis has stated that the goal is to push the EU in the same direction. The European Commission has recently introduced the EU Kids Act, which proposes an outright ban for children under thirteen. While Greece’s threshold of fifteen is higher, the national law may influence the final parameters of the continental legislation, potentially raising the age limit for the entire bloc.

International precedents offer both inspiration and caution. Australia was the first country to enact a full social media ban for children, but the implementation of age verification there has proven challenging. Greece’s approach, which relies on specific state-backed apps and age tokens, attempts to address these technical hurdles directly. As the January 2027 deadline approaches, the success of this model will be closely watched by other nations considering similar digital protections for their youth.