Greece’s new restrictions on children’s access to social media will come into effect on 1 January 2027, Minister of State Akis Skertsos, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis and Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Minister Dimitris Papastergiou announced.

According to Skertsos, the bill, which has already been submitted to Parliament, is expected to be passed on Thursday, 22 October.

Crucially, the legislation will also apply to children who already have social media accounts. The bill makes clear that accounts created before the new rules take effect will not be exempt: access must comply with the new age limit.

The Greek legislation also makes no provision for parental consent to override the age restriction, nor does it allow special restricted accounts for children aged 13 to 15.

At the same time, the government has clarified that users will not be required to submit identity documents to social media platforms as a general rule. Instead, an age-verification credential could confirm that a user meets the required age threshold without disclosing their name, exact date of birth or identity document number.

The proposed EU KIDS Act envisages the use of a technology known as a zero-knowledge proof, which allows users to demonstrate that they meet an age requirement without revealing their identity. Under the European proposal, the verification process must not allow users to be identified, located, tracked or profiled.

Skertsos: Greece is the first European country to introduce such legislation

“Kyriakos Mitsotakis was the first to sound the alarm about the need for a protective framework against aggressive algorithms that exploit children’s vulnerability when it comes to regulating the time they spend on social media,” Skertsos said.

He recalled that Greece had subsequently introduced Kids Wallet and made representations to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, calling for a stronger European regulatory framework, which led to the relevant announcement in September.

The bill’s principal provisions prohibit children who have not reached the age of 15 from accessing social networking services offered by online platforms. Platforms will be required to introduce appropriate, proportionate and reliable age-verification methods, in accordance with EU law and the European regulatory framework.

“It is time to address the issue of potential digital addiction,” Skertsos said.

“This does not mean that everyone who uses social media will automatically become addicted. However, scientific research indicates that at least one in four children is at risk of exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying and forms of use that are inappropriate for children.”

He added that the government supported the use of technology for education, information and entertainment, but believed a regulatory framework was necessary.

“We need to move from individual responsibility on the part of parents and children towards corporate responsibility and state regulation,” he said.

Skertsos pointed to Australia as the other country to have adopted a comparable approach, noting that, unlike Greece, it does not belong to a supranational organisation such as the EU.

“Everything we are doing is fully compliant with European rules. We have incorporated the observations of the relevant EU body,” he said.

The figures behind the decision to introduce restrictions

Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis stressed that protecting minors was not a new policy initiative.

“Last summer, we took the first step towards protecting our children by legislating to prohibit the sale of tobacco products and alcohol to minors,” he said.

Presenting the findings that prompted the latest intervention, Georgiadis said that more than half of lower-secondary school pupils had started using social media between the ages of 10 and 12.

One in four reported excessive social media use, while one in five children said they experienced nervousness, insecurity or difficulty concentrating when they could not access their mobile phone.

“Drawing on the extremely worrying findings of scientific research, the state and the government are legislating to help parents and relieve them of a difficult responsibility,” Georgiadis added.

Papastergiou: No children’s personal data will be shared with platforms

Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou explained that the age-verification process would not disclose children’s personal information to social media companies.

“We do not give platforms any of our children’s personal data whatsoever. Kids Wallet does not even provide a date of birth, only a flag indicating whether someone is above or below the age of 15,” he said.

“That is in contrast to the situation today, when children have provided all their details to the platforms, just as we have.”

Papastergiou explained that, from 1 January 2027, platforms that are certain a user is under 15 will be required to block access to their applications.

Where a platform cannot establish a user’s age with certainty, it will generate a QR code to be scanned using Kids Wallet.

He clarified that the restrictions would apply to Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, while their potential extension to Snapchat was still being examined.

“This legislation sends a message that the rules apply equally to everyone,” Skertsos added.

Georgiadis warned that platforms could face legal consequences if they failed to comply.

“If platforms fail to implement the rules properly, people will be able to go to court and seek compensation. If the platforms do not do what is required, they will pay,” he said.

Skertsos also clarified that the Greek legislation had been deliberately drafted in a concise form, comprising just six articles, and had been designed to comply fully with EU law.

He contrasted it with the French approach, which he described as more ambitious but one that had encountered difficulties under European legislation.

The Greek framework, he explained, does not introduce a new regulatory or sanctions regime, but instead operates within the existing European framework.

The new legislation explained in 28 questions and answers

The Greek initiative introduces a minimum social media access age of 15 from 1 January 2027. The separate European proposal aims to establish a broader framework for protecting children online but has not yet become a binding EU regulation.

1. What does the Greek bill provide for?

It establishes a minimum age of 15 for accessing online social networking services provided by online platforms. The restriction applies to the services covered by the legislation and does not amount to a general ban on internet use or mobile phone ownership.

2. When will the Greek legislation take effect?

The planned implementation date is 1 January 2027. Until the bill is passed and officially published, it remains draft legislation. This date applies specifically to the Greek measures and is not the implementation date of the European proposal.

3. Which children will be affected when the restrictions begin?

On 1 January 2027, the restrictions will apply to children born in 2013 or later. Those born in 2012 or earlier will be considered to have reached the age of 15 for the purposes of this legislation.

This does not override other child protection rules or the lawful terms and conditions of individual services.

4. Will a child born in December 2012 have to wait until their birthday?

No. Under the Greek legislation, everyone born in the same calendar year is treated as having a date of birth of 1 January for the purposes of calculating the age threshold.

Consequently, all children born in 2012 will meet the requirement from 1 January 2027, those born in 2013 from 1 January 2028, and those born in 2014 from 1 January 2029.

This is a specific provision of the new legislation.

5. Is there sufficient scientific evidence to justify the intervention?

The government does not claim that every instance of social media use causes mental health problems in every child. The effects vary according to age, vulnerability, content and patterns of use.

However, scientific and empirical evidence points to risks that justify preventive action.

The accompanying European material identifies three broad categories of risk: excessive use that displaces sleep and other activities, exposure to harmful content, and damaging online interactions. The way platforms are designed can amplify these risks.

According to the EU Kids Online 2026 comparative study, involving 28,465 children aged 10 to 16 across 19 European countries, only 48% say they feel safe online.

A February 2025 survey by the Greek Safer Internet Centre, involving 2,500 pupils aged 10 to 18, found that one in four lower- and upper-secondary school pupils reported excessive social media use.

These findings are based on self-reported behaviour rather than clinical diagnoses of addiction.

Evidence of potential harm does not, however, prove that the proposed age limit will solve the problem on its own. Its effectiveness will need to be assessed in practice.

6. Has the legislation undergone scientific scrutiny, or is it premature?

The initiative does not start from scratch.

The European Commission established a Special Panel on Child Online Safety, bringing together more than 60 experts in fields including healthcare, child psychology and psychiatry, computer science and the social sciences.

Representatives of young people, parents and children’s rights organisations also participated, while the panel’s co-chairs met with the European Data Protection Board.

The European proposal is accompanied by a detailed working document examining its potential impact and draws on previous impact assessments, scientific studies and evidence from the implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The Greek Regulatory Impact Assessment also draws on data from the World Health Organisation, the OECD, the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, the Greek Safer Internet Centre and the national strategy for protecting minors.

Scientific uncertainty surrounding specific effects calls for proportionate measures, monitoring and reassessment as new evidence emerges.

It does not justify either inaction or definitive claims about outcomes that have yet to be measured.

7. Which platforms will be affected?

The determining factor is whether a platform provides social networking services, rather than its commercial name alone.

Examples include Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.

The legislation does not contain a fixed, exhaustive list of platforms.

For services combining different functions, the precise scope of the restrictions and how they will be implemented will require clarification from the relevant European authorities once the regulatory framework has been finalised.

8. Can parents give their children permission to use social media before the age of 15?

No. The Greek bill does not allow parental consent to override the minimum age requirement.

Nor does it provide for special restricted accounts for children aged 13 to 15.

9. What happens if a child already has a social media account?

The restrictions make no exception for accounts created before the legislation comes into effect.

Access to existing accounts will also have to comply with the new minimum age requirement.

10. How will users’ ages be verified?

Enforcing the age limit will require appropriate, reliable and proportionate age-verification systems that minimise the collection of personal data and respect users’ privacy.

Simply entering a date of birth is not considered a sufficiently reliable verification method.

The selection and operation of age-verification mechanisms must comply with EU rules.

Greece already has an operational age-verification application that meets all the specifications established by the EU.

11. Will age verification require everyone to identify themselves or use Kids Wallet?

No. The Greek bill does not introduce universal identity verification for all users or require the use of one specific application.

Kids Wallet and Gov.gr Wallet are cited in the accompanying framework as suitable examples, but equivalent solutions that comply with EU law and European technical standards may also be used.

Age verification is different from disclosing someone’s identity to a platform.

The essential information is whether a user meets the relevant age requirement.

This does not mean that adult users will never need to undergo identity checks. Rather, such checks must not become a means of universal identification or surveillance.

12. Will users have to provide identity documents, and what is a zero-knowledge proof?

There is no general requirement to submit identity documents to social media platforms.

An age-verification credential can confirm that a user meets the age threshold without disclosing their name, exact date of birth or identity document number.

The proposed EU KIDS Act provides for a technology known as a zero-knowledge proof.

In simple terms, this makes it possible to demonstrate that a person meets an age requirement without revealing their identity.

Under the European proposal, the process must not allow identification, location tracking, monitoring or profiling.

13. Could the restrictions exclude some families or place additional pressure on parents?

This risk must be addressed in the design of the system.

Allowing different age-verification solutions would prevent families from having to rely on a single application or device.

However, accessible alternatives and clear guidance will be needed for families with limited access to digital technology or fewer digital skills.

The proposed EU KIDS Act includes accessible ways of proving parental responsibility and alternative procedures where standard documents are unavailable.

It also makes clear that parental control tools supplement providers’ responsibilities and that compliance must not depend entirely on parents having access to technology or knowing how to use it.

Kids Wallet and parco.gov.gr can support families with practical tools and guidance.

However, responsibility for protecting children cannot be placed entirely on parents.

14. Does age verification create new cybersecurity and privacy risks?

It could, if the systems are poorly designed or implemented.

That is why strong security, data minimisation, purpose limitation and privacy protection from the design stage are essential.

Protecting children does not justify collecting unnecessary identity documents or using age-related information for advertising and profiling.

The proposed EU KIDS Act provides for certified European age-verification solutions supplied by independent third parties, offering high levels of accuracy, reliability, security and minimal intrusiveness.

Zero-knowledge proof technology reduces the amount of information disclosed to platforms.

However, neither certification nor any particular technology can eliminate every risk.

Secure implementation, ongoing checks and incident response mechanisms are required, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The objective is to establish reliable proof of age while processing as little personal information as possible.

15. If children can bypass the restrictions using VPNs or move to other platforms, is the measure worthwhile?

No technical system is completely immune to attempts to circumvent it.

Using a false age, someone else’s account or a virtual private network (VPN) does not invalidate the restriction, but it creates enforcement challenges that must be addressed.

Verifying age before an account is created can improve compliance, although it cannot guarantee complete effectiveness.

The proposed EU KIDS Act prohibits practices by providers that undermine or circumvent their obligations.

Common European technical standards, cooperation with platforms and effective enforcement will therefore be necessary.

Authorities must also monitor whether children migrate to services offering weaker safety protections.

16. Will children or parents face fines?

No. The specific Greek provisions introduce no new fines or penalties for children or parents.

Supervision and enforcement will focus on service providers under the existing framework established by the DSA and Greek Law 5099/2024.

Parents will continue to play an important role, but their responsibilities do not replace those of the platforms.

17. Who will oversee the platforms, and where can complaints be submitted?

The Greek bill forms part of Law 5099/2024, which implements the Digital Services Act.

For providers established in Greece, the National Council for Radio and Television (ESR) and the Hellenic Data Protection Authority will oversee compliance with the age limit within their respective areas of responsibility.

The Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT) acts as the Digital Services Coordinator.

Where a provider is established in another EU member state, a complaint can still be submitted in Greece and forwarded by the EETT to the relevant Digital Services Coordinator in the provider’s country of establishment.

The European Commission retains its responsibilities under the DSA for very large online platforms, with enforcement responsibilities allocated according to the relevant obligation and procedure.

Complaints concerning breaches of the DSA can be submitted through the EETT’s designated form.

Complainants are advised to include the name of the service, details of the incident, relevant dates and supporting evidence.

The legislation does not create a new supervisory authority or a separate system of fines.

18. Do parents need to take any action now?

There is no general requirement for all families to register with a particular application.

Parents can already review privacy settings and parental controls, discuss the new age limit with their children and follow official announcements and updates from social media platforms.

Further guidance on parental controls is available through parco.gov.gr.

19. What changes for children aged 15 to 17?

Children in this age group will not be subject to the Greek age restriction, provided they meet the threshold under the special age-calculation rules established by the legislation.

However, they remain minors and continue to be entitled to the protections provided by the European regulatory framework.

Reaching the minimum age does not mean unrestricted social media use, nor does it release providers from their child protection obligations.

20. Does the age limit disproportionately restrict children’s access to information and freedom of expression?

Children’s rights to access information, express themselves and participate in society must be taken into account.

Digital environments also provide opportunities for learning, creativity and support.

The legislation targets specific social networking services for children under 15 and does not introduce a general ban on internet access or technology.

Its aim is to reduce early exposure to risks associated with problematic use, disrupted sleep, harmful content and unwanted contact.

The European proposal also addresses particular design features, such as infinite scrolling and recommendation systems intended to keep users engaged for prolonged periods.

The proportionality of the measure must be demonstrated in its scope, implementation and consequences.

Child protection must be combined with accessible, safe opportunities for information, communication and expression.

21. Why are digital literacy programmes and parental controls not enough?

Education and regulation are complementary.

Children need to learn how to assess online content, recognise risks and seek help.

Parents need information and user-friendly tools.

However, these measures alone cannot counteract platform designs that encourage problematic use.

The Greek intervention forms part of a broader national strategy for protecting minors, incorporating digital education and support for families.

The European proposal combines age restrictions with safer platform design, age assurance, parental control tools and enforcement.

Providers must take responsibility for the services they design and make available, while parental controls play a supplementary role.

22. Is the Greek legislation compatible with EU law?

The Greek initiative builds on Law 5099/2024 and the competent authorities and cooperation procedures established under the DSA.

It does not create a separate national supervisory system alongside the European framework.

According to the information accompanying the legislative initiative, the draft was notified to and discussed with the European Commission through the prescribed procedure.

The European proposal is moving towards age restrictions, meaningful age verification and greater accountability for providers.

This indicates a shared policy direction, but does not in itself constitute a definitive legal assessment of every national provision.

Compatibility must be assessed against existing EU law, while the eventual relationship between the two frameworks will also depend on the final wording of the European regulation once adopted.

23. How does the EU KIDS Act differ from the Greek legislation?

The Greek legislation focuses on access to social networking services.

The European proposal, which is still being developed and awaits approval, covers a broader range of services, including video-sharing platforms, online games, app stores and artificial intelligence systems.

These include AI companions and general-purpose AI chatbots.

The proposal establishes different obligations depending on the type of service and introduces broader rules on safe design.

It does not impose the same age-based exclusion across every digital service.

24. What does the European proposal provide for children aged 13 to under 15?

Under the proposal, providers would be able to offer special restricted accounts created by a parent or guardian.

Parental controls would have to be enabled by default.

Parents could set a daily usage limit of no more than one hour, approve new contacts in advance or limit the number of contacts their children can have.

Providers would be required to verify both the child’s age and the adult’s parental status.

These would not be fully independent accounts operated by children.

The proposed legislation has not yet been passed.

25. What does the European proposal provide for children under 13?

It would not permit social media accounts to be created in a child’s own name.

A narrow exception would allow limited access through a parent’s account to specially designed video services, subject to strict conditions and parental supervision.

This would not constitute general permission for children to use an adult’s ordinary account.

26. Who is responsible, and what penalties does European legislation provide for?

Responsibility lies primarily with service providers.

Very large online platforms would be required to submit compliance plans and commission independent audits at their own expense.

Enforcement would rely on the Digital Services Act and, for relevant artificial intelligence systems, the AI Act.

Depending on the applicable legal framework, penalties could reach up to 6% of a company’s annual worldwide turnover.

Such fines would not be imposed automatically for every individual breach.

27. Is the EU KIDS Act already law, and will it take effect on 1 January 2027?

No.

It remains a proposed European regulation requiring approval by both the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.

Its final provisions, implementation dates and relationship with national legislation will be determined through the legislative process.

The date of 1 January 2027 applies to the planned introduction of the Greek restrictions.

28. How will the success of the measures be assessed?

Success will not be measured solely by the number of accounts blocked.

It will also depend on whether parents, children and technology companies understand that protecting minors from harmful online content has become a national priority requiring specific measures.

Assessments will need to examine actual compliance with the age limit, problematic social media use, children’s sleep and wellbeing, unjustified exclusions, verification errors and any migration towards less secure online services.

Implementation in Greece will be subject to systematic government evaluation, with scientific input and the participation of parents, teachers and children.

The findings, together with emerging evidence, will guide future corrections and adjustments to the framework.