Politico

Greece proposes law to keep kids off social media

GreekReporter.com

Greece to Implement Social Media Ban for Minors Under 15

Greek City Times

Greece to Ban Social Media for Under-15s from 2027

BBC News

Greece to ban social media for under-15s from next year

Le Monde.fr

Greece announces social media ban for under 15-year-olds

Balkan Insight

Greece to Ban Use of Key Social Media Platforms by Under-15s

Reuters

Greece to ban social media for under-15s from 2027, calls on EU action

Sky News

Greece to ban under-15s from social media from next year

eKathimerini.com

PM takes to TikTok to announce planned social media ban on under-15s

Newsforce

Guardian

The world wants to ban children from social media, but there will be grave consequences for us all | Taylor Lorenz

The Wall Street Journal

Greece To Ban Social Media For Under 15S C73B1A0B

Express.co.uk

Greece confirms new ban starting next year in major policy shift

Metaculus

Eu Age Verification On Social Mediaai In 2026

The Economic Times

Greece to ban social media for under-15s from 2027, PM says

European Conservative

Greece To Block Social Media for Children Under 15 from 2027

Anthony Albanese

9News Australia

Terry Flew

Australian Human Rights Commission

Aaron Mackey

Joanne Orlando

Melissa McIntosh

Damini Satija

Julie Inman Grant

Timothy Koskie

"They took the easy option, and it will fail."

“New accounts are being created and the age-verification tools that the government assured Australians would be effective, have proven laughably easy to bypass with some makeup and good lighting.”

“Tech-savvy teens simply use VPNs, fake birth photos for face scans, or migrate to less regulated platforms like Lemon8, or to platforms not part of the ban like video games. Enforcement is proving to be difficult in the days leading up to the ban.”

"Some verification methods are often inaccurate while others are easily circumvented.”

"Technological workarounds – such as VPNs and false age declarations – may undermine the effectiveness of the ban."

"This law will also push many users toward platforms that are more personal and private, like Telegram channels, WhatsApp Communities, and Signal Groups, which are not currently banned because they are important tools for encrypted and direct communication."

David Inserra

“Ultimately, reducing online harm would be a great outcome; however, we know from evidence that ‘banning’ anything from young people won’t work on its own.”

Louise La Sala

“There’s a fair amount of teething problems around it. Many young people have been posting on TikTok that they successfully evaded the age limitations and that’s to be expected.”

"I think it will help a lot of parents because it's not them saying no, it's an actual law."

Cassie Xintavelonis

“We don’t expect safety laws to eliminate every single breach. If we did, speed limits would have failed because people speed, drinking limits would have failed because, believe it or not, some kids do get access to alcohol.”

“The fact that teenagers occasionally find a way to have a drink doesn’t diminish the value of having a clear national standard.”

"Just as the banning of phones in school classrooms by many state governments hasn't on day one led to perfect compliance, now it's just accepted that there are improved educational outcomes, improved behaviour, improved social outcomes as a result."

"Australia's social media ban is already driving change, and is proof that the threat of regulation works, even before the law takes effect. Waiting for perfect policy risks paralysis when real progress is already within reach.”

Will Australia's Under 16 Social Media Ban be Effective?

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday announced a ban on social media access for children under 15, set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027. He cited rising anxiety, sleep problems and what he called the "addictive design" of online platforms as reasons for the measure.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday announced a ban on social media access for children under 15, set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027. He cited rising anxiety, sleep problems and what he called the "addictive design" of online platforms as reasons for the measure.

Mitsotakis made the announcement in a video posted on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, addressing young people directly. He said the goal was "not to keep you away from technology but to combat addiction to certain applications that harm your innocence and your freedom."

Mitsotakis made the announcement in a video posted on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, addressing young people directly. He said the goal was "not to keep you away from technology but to combat addiction to certain applications that harm your innocence and your freedom."

Under the proposed law, under-15s will be barred from social media regardless of parental consent, and enforcement will rely on a state-mandated app installed across all devices. Platforms that fail to restrict underage users could face fines of up to 6% of their global turnover.

Under the proposed law, under-15s will be barred from social media regardless of parental consent, and enforcement will rely on a state-mandated app installed across all devices. Platforms that fail to restrict underage users could face fines of up to 6% of their global turnover.

This comes after Mitsotakis wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, calling for an EU-wide "digital age of majority" set at 15 and a coordinated enforcement framework in place by the end of 2026. He argued that national measures alone would not be sufficient to protect minors.

This comes after Mitsotakis wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, calling for an EU-wide "digital age of majority" set at 15 and a coordinated enforcement framework in place by the end of 2026. He argued that national measures alone would not be sufficient to protect minors.

An ALCO opinion poll showed around 80% of Greek adults support the ban. Data from the Greek Safer Internet Centre indicates that 75% of children using social media in Greece are of primary school age.

An ALCO opinion poll showed around 80% of Greek adults support the ban. Data from the Greek Safer Internet Centre indicates that 75% of children using social media in Greece are of primary school age.

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.verity.news/story/2025/australia-enforces-social-media-ban-for-children-under-">Australia became the first country to ban social media for under-16s</a> in December, requiring platforms including TikTok, YouTube and Instagram to remove accounts held by minors. Several other countries, including Spain, Denmark and Austria, are pursuing or considering similar restrictions.

Australia became the first country to ban social media for under-16s in December, requiring platforms including TikTok, YouTube and Instagram to remove accounts held by minors. Several other countries, including Spain, Denmark and Austria, are pursuing or considering similar restrictions.

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Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a ban on social media access for children under 15, set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027. He cited rising anxiety, sleep problems and what he called the "addictive design" of online platforms as reasons for the measure.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a ban on social media access for children under 15, set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027. He cited rising anxiety, sleep problems and what he called the "addictive design" of online platforms as reasons for the measure.

Mitsotakis made the announcement in a video posted on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, addressing young people directly. He said the goal was not to distance children from technology but to combat addiction to certain applications.

Mitsotakis made the announcement in a video posted on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, addressing young people directly. He said the goal was not to distance children from technology but to combat addiction to certain applications.

Under the proposed law, minors will be barred from social media regardless of parental consent, with enforcement relying on a state-mandated app installed across all devices. Platforms that fail to restrict underage users could face fines of up to 6% of their global turnover.

Under the proposed law, minors will be barred from social media regardless of parental consent, with enforcement relying on a state-mandated app installed across all devices. Platforms that fail to restrict underage users could face fines of up to 6% of their global turnover.

Mitsotakis wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calling for an EU-wide "digital age of majority" set at 15 and a coordinated enforcement framework in place by the end of 2026. He argued that national measures alone would not be sufficient to protect minors.

Mitsotakis wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calling for an EU-wide "digital age of majority" set at 15 and a coordinated enforcement framework in place by the end of 2026. He argued that national measures alone would not be sufficient to protect minors.

Australia became the first country to ban social media for under-16s in December, requiring platforms including TikTok, YouTube and Instagram to remove accounts held by minors. Several other countries, including France, Spain, Denmark and Austria, are pursuing or considering similar restrictions.

Australia became the first country to ban social media for under-16s in December, requiring platforms including TikTok, YouTube and Instagram to remove accounts held by minors. Several other countries, including France, Spain, Denmark and Austria, are pursuing or considering similar restrictions.

Banning kids from social media isn't about safety — it's a trojan horse for mass surveillance that strips everyone of anonymity online. Age verification systems require harvesting biometric data and government IDs, creating infrastructure that governments and bad actors will inevitably abuse. Real child protection comes from data-privacy reform and breaking up big tech, not building a digital panopticon.

Banning kids from social media isn't about safety — it's a trojan horse for mass surveillance that strips everyone of anonymity online. Age verification systems require harvesting biometric data and government IDs, creating infrastructure that governments and bad actors will inevitably abuse. Real child protection comes from data-privacy reform and breaking up big tech, not building a digital panopticon.

NewsForce

Social media platforms are engineered to hijack kids' attention, fueling stress, depression and cyberbullying — and Greece is right to say enough is enough. Banning under-15s from Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat is a commonsense health measure backed by experts, not a surveillance scheme. Greece is leading the way, and a unified EU framework should follow to protect children everywhere.

Social media platforms are engineered to hijack kids' attention, fueling stress, depression and cyberbullying — and Greece is right to say enough is enough. Banning under-15s from Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat is a commonsense health measure backed by experts, not a surveillance scheme. Greece is leading the way, and a unified EU framework should follow to protect children everywhere.

Artificial Intelligence

Greece Bans Social Media for Kids Under 15

Computers & internet

Greece

Media

Social issues

There's a 23% chance that the EU will require mandatory age verification on social media or AI before 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

There's a 23% chance that the EU will require mandatory age verification on social media or AI before 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Greece Bans Social Media for Kids Under 15

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