Greece to Ban Social Media for Under-15s by 2027—EU-Wide Impact Ahead

The Greek government has committed to barring anyone under 15 from accessing social media platforms by January 1, 2027, a decision announced by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis that could reshape how the European Union approaches digital regulation affecting families, businesses, and tech companies operating across the bloc.

The Greek Announcement: Facts and Timeline

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the ban in a social-media video—a platform he plans to restrict for the very demographic he claims to protect. He framed the policy as a response to mounting evidence: "When a child spends hours in front of screens, the brain does not rest," citing anxiety spikes, sleep disorders, and documented concerns among adolescents. Legislation will pass through parliament during summer 2026, giving platforms and parents 18 months to prepare.

The ban targets social-media platforms where users create profiles, share content publicly, and interact beyond one-to-one chats—including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. Private-messaging services such as Viber and WhatsApp fall outside the ban's scope. A February survey showed 80% of Greek respondents support the age floor, underscoring broad public appetite for stricter digital boundaries.

Verified Enforcement Framework

Greece plans to require platforms to authenticate users' identities at sign-up. The specific enforcement mechanisms, fines, and re-verification schedules are still under development and will be detailed by the Hellenic Data Protection Authority during 2026. Greece is also proposing a state-run app concept to support parental oversight, though specific details about its functionality and implementation remain to be determined.

Broader European Context

Greece's move joins Spain, Austria, Slovenia, Denmark, France, and Portugal in considering or enacting similar age restrictions, with proposed age floors ranging from 13 to 16 years. The European Parliament has passed a non-binding resolution endorsing 16 as the minimum age for social-media access across the Union, with parental-consent exceptions for users aged 13 to 15.

Mitsotakis has sent a formal letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, proposing a 15-year digital age of majority across all 27 member states and asking for a unified regulatory framework to be finalized by the end of 2026. Whether Brussels will adopt such a harmonized approach remains to be seen.

Potential Implications for Italy and the EU

For Italian residents, Greece's precedent signals that stricter age gates may become more common across Europe. Italy's government is already drafting legislation to review the digital-consent threshold, currently set at 14 years, and Italian lawmakers are watching Greece's rollout closely to assess implementation approaches.

If the EU eventually adopts a common standard—a significant "if" at this stage—Italian parents might face harmonized age-verification systems aligned with a broader EU framework. Italian education officials have noted that Greece's classroom smartphone prohibitions could inform ongoing debates about device policies in Italian schools.

Tech platforms operating in Italy can expect increased regulatory scrutiny on age verification and child safety protections. Advertising models targeting users under 16 may face new constraints if enforcement across multiple EU countries proceeds.

Industry Response and Implementation Challenges

Tech companies have largely remained publicly silent on Greece's announcement. The European Commission has launched separate investigations into Meta, TikTok, and X for potential violations of the Digital Services Act, scrutinizing age-verification mechanisms and protection of minors.

Enforcement challenges are significant. Teenagers can potentially circumvent geographic restrictions using VPNs, foreign SIM cards, or falsified documents. Australia's similar age-restriction policy showed that while platforms removed millions of underage accounts, many resurfaced with altered credentials, raising questions about whether outright bans effectively protect young people or simply displace online activity into less regulated spaces.

Alternative Approaches Under Discussion

Some child-safety advocates argue that age restrictions alone may not be sufficient. China's "Youth Mode" demonstrates an alternative model, embedding time limits and content filters at the operating-system level. Digital-literacy curricula—which Italy's Ministry of Education is piloting in select secondary schools—represent another avenue, teaching critical evaluation of online content and healthy screen habits rather than imposing outright bans.

What Comes Next

Greece's parliament will debate the legislation in summer 2026, with passage considered likely given government backing and public support. Between enactment and the January 2027 implementation date, technical standards and regulatory guidance will be published.

For residents across Italy and Europe, Greece's policy direction signals the regulatory trajectory—but whether the model will prove effective and how it will eventually harmonize with broader EU approaches remain open questions.