Greece has passed legislation banning children under the age of 15 from using social media, with the restrictions set to take effect on January 1, 2027.
The Greek parliament approved the bill on October 23, 2026, as concerns grow over the impact of social media on children’s health, safety, sleep, and concentration.
Under the new law, children younger than 15 will be prohibited from accessing covered social media platforms. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said technology companies have approximately two and a half months to develop ways to verify users’ ages while protecting their privacy.
The government says the measure is intended to help parents address excessive screen time and the endless scrolling that can interfere with children’s sleep, concentration, and time spent with friends. Greece is also among seven European Union countries working with the European Commission to develop an age-verification solution.
Greece is joining a growing international effort to restrict children’s access to social media. Australia became the first country to enact legislation limiting social media use among minors, while other countries have introduced or considered similar measures. France passed a comparable law, but its Constitutional Council struck it down in August 2026.
Other governments are also exploring age restrictions and age-verification requirements for online platforms, reflecting growing debate over how to protect young people online while safeguarding users’ privacy.
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