Greece passes law barring under-15s from social media from January 2027
Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X face fines under the EU's Digital Services Act if they fail to verify users' ages.
Greece's parliament has approved a law barring children under 15 from social media, taking effect January 1, 2027. It covers major platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X, and requires them to use proportionate, reliable age checks. Non-compliant services would face fines under the EU's Digital Services Act. Parents would have to install state-backed apps, Kids Wallet or Gov.gr, linked to their child's device to enforce the block, which the government says will use anonymised age tokens to limit data collection. The bill passed on the strength of the governing majority after opposition from minority parties, and polling indicates broad public backing. The measure is one of the first of its kind in the EU, while the European Commission's proposed EU Kids Act would impose an outright ban only for under-13s.
Why it matters
Greece's law places enforcement on parents and platforms at once: parents must pair state-backed apps, Kids Wallet or Gov.gr, with their child's device, while services must run age checks that are proportionate and reliable. Because the EU's proposed Kids Act would ban only under-13s outright, Greece's stricter 15-year threshold sets a more demanding national standard than the one under discussion in Brussels. The law's outcome will show whether a national age limit can be enforced without holding back children's access to the wider web.
Matters or hype?
Does this story matter, or is it hype? Vote before you see what everyone else said.