# Greece Bans Social Media for Children Under 15

> Greece's parliament approved a law prohibiting social media access for children under 15, effective January 1, 2027.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-23T13:16:39.368787Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/greece-bans-social-media-for-children-under-15-e4ba12e3

Greece's parliament passed a law on October 23, 2026, banning social media access for children under 15, a measure set to take effect on January 1, 2027 [1][2][3]. This decision positions Greece as a key player in Europe's growing movement to shield minors from online harms, driven by rising concerns over youth mental health and well-being [1][2].

## The New Law's Mandate
The legislation, titled "Prohibition of the Use of Online Social Networking Services by Minors," mandates that social media platforms implement age-verification measures to ensure compliance [5][20]. The law specifies that self-declared age will not be sufficient; the responsibility for reliably verifying a user's age falls on the platform owners [5][6]. This includes major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and LinkedIn [5][9]. The new rules also require platforms to re-verify existing accounts held by Greek children [9]. Companies that fail to comply could face significant penalties, with fines potentially reaching up to 6 percent of their global annual turnover, enforced under the framework of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) [12][18].

## Legislative Journey
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis first announced plans for the ban in April 2026, using TikTok to explain the "difficult but necessary" measure [2][4]. The bill was formally filed on October 9, 2026 [20]. Parliament debated the legislation from Thursday, October 22, into Friday, October 23, 2026, when it ultimately passed [3][7][11][18]. The ruling New Democracy party, led by Prime Minister Mitsotakis, used its majority to pass the bill, as it was the only party to support it in principle [3][7][9]. Opposition parties largely did not back the bill; the socialist Pasok party abstained, while SYRIZA, Greek Solution, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Niki, and Course of Freedom, voted against the legislation [3][7].

## Global Context and Officials Speak Out
Greece's action reflects a broader European and global trend aimed at safeguarding minors online [2][10]. Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Dimitris Papastergiou described the regulation as "necessary, proportionate and compatible with European Union legislation" [1]. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in September, announced the proposed "EU Kids Act," which intends to ban social media for children under 13 and introduce parental supervision for those aged 13 to under 15 across the bloc [13][14]. Other countries have also taken steps; Australia passed similar legislation last year [8]. France passed a law in July 2026 to ban social media for under-15s, but its Constitutional Council struck down the key provision in August 2026 [8][14]. Norway is also finalizing legislation to introduce a social media ban for children under 16 [16].

## What We Could Not Confirm
The specific methods social media platforms will use for age verification and re-verification of existing accounts were not detailed [5].

## Evidence cited
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