Greece to ban Under-15s from social media
Greece plans to implement ban through an application which requires installation on all devices for enforcement purposes
Greece will ban children under 15 from using social media starting 1 January 2027, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Wednesday. The decision arises from increasing worries about how online platforms are causing anxiety and sleep disturbances and developing addictive behaviours in young users.
Mitsotakis delivered a video message to Greek children which explained that extended screen time prevents their minds from resting while they experience ongoing stress from social media comparisons and online comments.
“Greece will be among the first countries to take such an initiative,” he said. “I am certain, however, that it will not be the last. Our goal is to push the European Union in this direction as well.”
The government plans to implement the ban through an application which requires installation on all devices for enforcement purposes. The application restricts user access to social media sites which include TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, and it serves as a tool in Greece to stop underage users from purchasing cigarette and alcohol products.
The ban receives strong backing from adult populations because polls indicate that 80 per cent of voters support the measure. According to the Greek Safer Internet Centre, 75% of Greek children who use social media are of primary school age.
Parents have voiced strong support, citing struggles in controlling screen time. A mother said, 'Ban them; shut them down. We parents need help." Some parents, however, argue that a ban should be a last resort.
Dimitris Daniil, 44, proposed that families should first restrict their children to home-based phone use before considering nationwide phone bans, which he believes should proceed only after family-based phone restrictions fail.
Teens themselves have mixed feelings: Katerina, 14, said social media has always been part of their lives. “It is the way we learnt since we were born… I can control it, but then again, I usually get carried away,” she said.
Mitsotakis has also written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to propose a coordinated EU approach, establishing a “digital age of majority” at 15. He aims for a framework across the bloc by the end of 2026, arguing that national measures alone will not protect children.
