OMM Newsroom
Greece’s parliament has passed a bill banning people under 15 from using social media from Jan. 1, 2027. The law strengthens measures to protect children online and requires platforms to comply with age restrictions, AnewZ reports.
Under the law, social media companies must verify whether users meet the minimum age requirement. Greece’s Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence, Dimitris Papastergiou, said platforms had until early 2027 to determine whether their accounts and services are intended for adults.
Papastergiou warned that unsupervised internet use could lead children to become addicted to “infinite scrolling” and affect their attention span, sleep and, most importantly, mental health.
“We owe our children their childhood. That is exactly what we are doing today. It is our duty to protect them. Given the challenges we face, the social media bill delivers the outcome society expects,” Papastergiou said.
The new law complements existing measures to ensure children’s online safety. These include the “Kids Wallet” app, which helps parents manage their children’s digital access, and restrictions on mobile phone use in schools.
The bill was backed by the ruling New Democracy party. Opposition parties SYRIZA, Greek Solution and the Communist Party of Greece voted against it, while the socialist PASOK party abstained.
Greece is joining countries that have restricted children’s access to social media. Australia introduced a similar ban for under-16s in 2025.
