Athens, October 23: Greece's parliament on Friday approved a bill banning the use of social media platforms by children under 15, amid growing concerns over the platforms' impact on the health and safety of minors, Reuters reported.

Source: Reuters

The ban comes into force on January 1, 2027. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said social media platforms have two and a half months to devise a way to verify users' ages while protecting their privacy, according to Reuters. AFP reported the law will require age verification on social networks and impose harsh penalties on companies that fail to comply.

Source: AFP

Under 15age group covered by the ban
Jan 1, 2027date the ban takes effect
20+countries with similar laws, per AFP tally
2½ monthstime given to platforms to devise age checks, per PM Mitsotakis

The law passed after a heated debate in a parliamentary session that began on Thursday and stretched into Friday. Mitsotakis's conservative New Democracy party used its majority to pass the bill, which no other party backed, the ANA news agency reported via AFP. The opposition socialist PASOK party abstained after proposing an alternative that would have banned social media for under-13s with parental controls for 13- and 14-year-olds; other left-wing and nationalist parties voted against.

Mitsotakis first announced plans for the ban in April, explaining the measure on TikTok — one of the most popular social networks among young people in Greece — and calling it "difficult but necessary", AFP reported. The government says it is standing by parents to help curb the "endless scrolling" that it says deprives children of sleep, concentration and time with their friends, Reuters reported. Greece is also among seven European Union countries seeking an age-verification solution together with the European Commission.

What the law does

Bars under-15s from social media platforms from January 1, 2027; requires platforms to verify users' ages; carries harsh penalties for companies that do not comply (AFP). Platforms have about two and a half months to build age checks that protect privacy (Reuters).

Greece joins a widening global move. Australia last year became the first country to legislate against minors' social media use, barring under-16s, while a similar law in France was struck down by that country's Constitutional Council in August, Reuters noted. More than 20 countries have passed similar laws, according to an AFP tally.

The bans have faced pushback from free-speech advocates, and sceptics question how well they will work in practice, AFP reported. Supporters, including the Greek government, argue the curbs are needed because, critics of the platforms say, addictive algorithms keep children glued to their screens and excessive scrolling can damage mental health — a claim the platforms dispute in the wider debate and which remains contested.

What is solid

  • Greece's parliament approved the under-15 social media ban on Friday, October 23 (Reuters, AFP)
  • The ban takes effect on January 1, 2027, and requires age verification, with penalties for non-compliant companies
  • The bill passed on the governing New Democracy party's majority; PASOK abstained and other opposition parties voted against (AFP via ANA)

What is only claimed

  • Whether such bans actually protect children's mental health — supporters cite sleep, concentration and addiction concerns; free-speech advocates oppose the bans and sceptics question whether they can work (AFP)