Greece's parliament has passed a law banning children under 15 from social media starting January 1, 2027 — one of the toughest age-restriction regimes any EU country has attempted. The bill passed Thursday after a heated debate, with only the governing New Democracy party voting in favor while opposition parties either opposed or abstained. Here's what changes, who it affects, and what you need to do.
What exactly changed
Previously, Greece had no statutory ban on minors' social media use. The new law bars children under 15 from accessing social networks entirely and places the burden of age verification on the platforms themselves. Companies that fail to comply face fines of up to 6 percent of their global annual turnover — among the steepest digital penalties in Europe.
Age checks will run through the "Kids Wallet" smartphone app developed by Greece's digital ministry: parents link the app to their child's data, and the app returns a digital confirmation of whether the age threshold is met — without handing the platform all of the child's personal data, according to Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou.
Who is affected
Any child under 15 living in Greece, from January 1, 2027. The platforms affected are all major social networks operating in the country, which must install compliant age-verification systems before the deadline. Greece says it aims to become the first EU member state to actually enforce such a ban.
What you need to do
Parents of under-15s should expect platforms to begin requesting age verification as 2027 approaches. The government is encouraging families to set up the Kids Wallet app, which will serve as the primary proof-of-age tool. Families with children already on social media should plan for accounts to be restricted or removed once the law takes effect.
The backdrop matters: France passed a similar under-15 ban in July, but its Constitutional Council struck it down in August as a disproportionate interference with freedom of expression; President Macron has ordered a legally revised version. Australia banned under-16s from social media last December. The EU's own Kids Act, presented in September, proposes a ban for under-13s and independent accounts only from 15.
Why it matters
The government says children are "sinking into the internet every day" and calls the ban a necessary public health step — Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis linked excessive use to damage to sleep, concentration, relationships, and psychological development. The opposition calls it a "digital barbed wire fence," warning of privacy risks, enforcement problems, and teens migrating to less regulated services. Whether Greece's version survives the legal scrutiny that killed France's will be the test to watch.