Greece will ban the access of minors under the age of 15 to social networks starting January 1, 2027. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the decision through a video on TikTok, according to AFP, cited by Agerpres.
The measure will be adopted through legislation to be voted on in the summer of 2026. “We have decided to move forward with a difficult but necessary measure: banning access to social media for children under 15,” the Greek prime minister said.
The aim is to combat the effects of social media on the mental health and freedom of teenagers. “Greece is one of the first countries in the world to adopt such a measure,” Mitsotakis said, noting that he called on the European Union to follow suit.
Addressing the parents, he stated that the law does not replace the role of the family. “This is just a tool that will never be able to replace your presence,” he said.
Regarding the time spent in front of the screens, the Greek Prime Minister added: “The science is clear: when a child spends hours in front of screens, his brain does not rest.”
“I know some of you will be upset. Our goal is not to keep you away from technology, but to fight addiction to certain apps that affect your innocence and freedom,” Mitsotakis told the youth.
Similar measures exist in other states. Australia introduced legislation in 2025 requiring platforms to verify age and delete accounts of under-16s. Companies like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok enforce the rules to avoid huge fines.
In Europe, France, Denmark and Spain are considering regulations to protect teenagers from algorithms.
What is Romania doing?
In Romania, the idea of limiting children's access to social networks was recently launched in the public space by Raed Arafat, head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU). He wrote on Facebook that social networks “are high-risk products for children and teenagers” and that Romania should limit by law their access to these platforms, as other countries do.
He was contradicted by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Cătălin Predoiu, who is against limiting the access of children and teenagers to social networks and claims that the bans do not solve the substantive problem and are difficult to apply.
