Greece will impose a social media ban on children under 15 starting Jan. 1, 2027, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Wednesday. The government said it is acting because of rising anxiety, sleep disruption and the addictive design of online platforms.
Mitsotakis said Greece would be among the first countries in Europe to take such a step. He added that the government had consulted parents before moving ahead and now wants the European Union to adopt a broader common approach. A February ALCO poll showed about 80% of respondents supported the plan.
Social media ban builds on earlier restrictions
Greece has already banned mobile phones in schools and launched parental control tools aimed at limiting teenagers’ screen time. The new measure goes further by targeting direct access to social media platforms for younger users.
Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou said parliament would pass the law in mid-2026. From 2027, platforms will need systems that can restrict underage users or face penalties under the EU Digital Services Act that can reach 6% of global turnover. However, Greece cannot yet force platforms to verify users’ ages on its own, so officials are also urging parents to help enforce the policy.
Greece presses for wider EU action
Mitsotakis also wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and called for a coordinated EU response. He proposed a bloc-wide digital age of majority at 15, mandatory age verification and repeated checks across platforms, along with a common enforcement system by the end of 2026.
Greek officials said national action alone would not be enough because EU law heavily shapes what member states can do in this area. That is why the planned social media ban is both a domestic policy and a push for wider European regulation. Other countries, including Britain, France and Poland, are also considering tighter rules for children’s online access.
