Greece Mandates Age Verification for Under-15s on Major Social Platforms Starting 2027

Greece has officially become the first European nation to legislate a comprehensive ban on social media access for children under the age of 15, with the measure set to take effect on January 1, 2027. This legislative move marks a significant shift in how the European Union approaches digital childhood, establishing a national precedent before a broader continental framework is finalized. The law, which covers major platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X, mandates that these services implement proportionate and reliable age-verification methods to enforce the restriction.

The primary driver behind this legislation is the perceived urgency to protect minors from the increasingly complex digital landscape. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who first announced the initiative earlier this year, described the bill as "difficult but necessary." His government argued that waiting for a perfect European law was not an option given the daily challenges children face online. The Digital Governance and AI Minister, Dimitris Papastergiou, emphasized that a responsible government must act when children are "sinking into the internet every day," rather than remaining passive.

Implementation of the ban will rely on a combination of platform compliance and parental controls. Social media services must adopt robust age-verification techniques to identify users under fifteen. For parents, the law requires the use of state-backed applications, specifically Kids Wallet or Gov.gr, which are paired with their child’s device to block access. These tools are designed to protect privacy by utilizing "age tokens," a mechanism that confirms a user's age while minimizing the disclosure of personal data, according to Papastergiou.

Enforcement of the new rules will be handled through existing European frameworks. If social media companies fail to comply with the age-verification mandates, they will be subject to fines under the EU’s Digital Services Act. This approach allows Greece to leverage established EU legal structures to ensure that national requirements are met without creating a separate, isolated regulatory regime. The integration with the Digital Services Act suggests that Greece views its domestic law as a stepping stone toward a unified European standard.

The legislative process was contentious, with Greece’s minority parties opposing the bill. However, the ruling majority government utilized its parliamentary control to pass the measure. Public sentiment appears to favor the change, with opinion polls indicating widespread support among the adult population. This political backing follows a previous move in 2024, when Greece barred mobile phones in schools, signaling a broader governmental commitment to limiting young people's exposure to digital devices.

The timing of this law is strategically significant within the broader context of European digital policy. The European Commission recently introduced the EU Kids Act, which aims to establish a similar ban but currently stipulates restrictions only for children under 13. By setting the age limit at 15, Greece is pushing for a higher threshold. Prime Minister Mitsotakis has stated that his government’s goal is to influence the European Union to adopt this stricter standard, suggesting that Athens intends to use its national law as a benchmark for future continental legislation.

Greece’s move places it in the company of Australia, which was the first country in the world to enact a full social media ban for children. However, the Greek legislation differs in its specific age threshold and its reliance on state-backed apps for parental enforcement. The challenge of implementing age verification has proven difficult in Australia, and Greece now faces the same technical and privacy hurdles. The success of the Greek model will likely serve as a critical test case for other nations and EU institutions considering similar measures in the coming years.

Looking ahead, the period leading up to January 2027 will be crucial for preparing the infrastructure required to enforce the ban. Platforms will need to update their verification systems, while parents will need to familiarize themselves with the new state apps. The law’s impact will be closely watched by policymakers across Europe, particularly as the EU Kids Act progresses. If the Greek model proves effective in balancing protection with privacy, it could accelerate the adoption of similar restrictions throughout the continent, fundamentally changing the digital rights of minors in the region.