In brief
Parliament passed a bill that prohibits all Greek users under 15, born before 1 January 2013, from using social‑media platforms effective 1 January 2027. The policy, aimed at reducing digital addiction among schoolchildren, requires platforms to implement robust age‑verification mechanisms. Athens officials have met with leading tech firms to design and present these mechanisms before the law’s launch.
Parliamentary approval of a social‑media ban for Greek children under 15, set to take effect on 1 January 2027, has prompted a technical push to develop reliable age‑verification systems that platforms will need to deploy within weeks. The measure, intended to limit early exposure to digital content, will bar all users born before 1 January 2013 from accessing Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and other online networks and will even block those who already have accounts. The law makes no reservation for parental consent, holding online companies accountable for enforcement failures.
Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Minister Dimitris Papastergiou and State Minister Akis Skertsos opened a series of meetings with representatives of Meta Platforms, TikTok and Microsoft on 12 November 2026. The discussion, reported by the online edition of Kathimerini, focused on how platforms can design and present realistic age‑verification mechanisms so that, according to the statement released by the government, users will be prevented from creating or accessing accounts if they are under 15. Meta Platforms will need to present a concrete plan by the beginning of December.
Age verification is defined in the legislation as an “authentication process that confirms a user’s age before the creation or use of an account on a digital platform.” Critics point out that such methods must balance privacy protection with the need to block minors. The Greek government’s proposal echoes broader European safety‑by‑design initiatives that advocate for “stronger age checks” and for the removal of platform features that could entice under‑age usage.
The meetings began in November when Greek officials met with TikTok and Microsoft executives, who agreed to contribute to the development of secure age‑verification technologies. According to the government statement, a further session with Google officials is scheduled for Friday, as the country seeks to cover all major social‑media providers. One Friday after the first meeting, Greek lawmakers confirmed that platforms will be held legally responsible for non‑compliance.
Data cited by the authorities—drawn from recent research conducted with high‑school students covering the first three years of secondary school—reveals that more than half of the participants begin using social media between the ages of 10 and 12. The study also found that one in four students considered their engagement excessive, while one in five reported feeling edgy, insecure or distracted when denied access to a mobile phone. These findings underscore the perceived urgency behind the legislative push.
Under the new law, children who already possess social‑media accounts will be automatically removed from those platforms once the ban takes effect, regardless of the date of account creation. The Greek enforcement mechanism stipulates that the platforms themselves will face penalties for breaches of the law, shifting responsibility from parents to the operators of the networks.
European policy advocates have called the measure a “significant step toward protecting children’s online privacy.” An earlier proposal from the European Policy Centre, which was unable to be accessed due to a technical error, emphasized a strategy to restrict access for children under 13, while limiting parental control features for users aged 13‑15. The Greek approach aligns with the broader European trend toward safety‑by‑design and age‑checks, which seeks to embed protective measures into the core architecture of social networks.
As the law’s implementation date draws near, officials intend to provide a timeline for tech firms: the first set of detailed age‑verification proposals must be submitted by 5 December and should outline both the authentication method and the user experience for children over 15. Feedback on these proposals will be required before the platforms can begin enforcement on 1 January 2027.
If implementation falters, the government has signaled that statutes will enforce penalties on platforms; the underlying aim is to make illegal access by minors a legal liability for companies, not parents or children. With age‑verification at the intersection of technology, law, and youth health, the Greek initiative marks a national experiment in safeguarding digital welfare through regulatory and technical collaboration.
