A legislative proposal in Greece seeks to establish a minimum age of 15 for access to social media platforms. The bill, which is scheduled for examination by a parliamentary committee on Tuesday, aims to enhance the protection of minors in the online environment, as reported by eKathimerini.
Introduced in Parliament on Friday by State Minister Akis Skertsos, this initiative intends to restrict access for children under 15 as a preventive measure to safeguard their health, safety, and social development.
The proposed legislation would confer responsibility for overseeing compliance to the National Council for Radio and Television (ESR) and the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (DPA).
The government underscores that early exposure to social media, where algorithms are designed to maximize user engagement through personalized recommendations and continuous content streams, could heighten the risk of developing problematic behaviors or addiction.
This age restriction could be implemented via existing digital age verification tools in Greece, such as the Gov.gr Wallet and KidsWallet applications.
These measures would primarily target children under 15, their parents or guardians, social media platform providers, and national authorities responsible for monitoring legislative compliance.
Turkey recently enacted a similar ban on social media use for individuals under 15, joining a growing number of countries worldwide concerned about protecting children and adolescents from the negative impacts of these platforms.
