Greece joins push to ban social media for minors

What the report says

Greece’s parliament has approved a new law that will ban social media use for people under 15, marking one of the country’s most significant moves yet on children’s online access. The measure was pushed through by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s ruling New Democracy party, which has a parliamentary majority. According to Al Jazeera, the bill passed after heated debate and drew no support from other parties.

The law is set to take effect on January 1, 2027. It will require age verification on social networks and introduce penalties for companies that do not comply. Mitsotakis had previously signaled the plan earlier in the year, describing it as a difficult but necessary step.

Al Jazeera reports that the opposition PASOK party abstained, having argued for a different approach: a ban for users under 13, combined with parental controls for ages 13 and 14. The new Greek rules place the country among roughly 20 nations that have introduced or proposed limits on social media access for minors, including Australia, France, Brazil, Indonesia, Austria, Denmark and the UK.

The policy reflects a broader international push to tighten children’s online protections amid concerns about addictive design features and potential mental health effects. At the same time, critics question whether such bans can be enforced effectively or achieve their intended results.