Greece is putting a digital age limit on childhood, banning under-15s from social media in a move that will force platforms to rethink how they verify users.
Parliament approved the legislation during a sitting that concluded early Friday, Oct. 23, after more than 16 hours of debate, according to state broadcaster ERT. The restrictions will take effect Jan. 1, 2027, covering social networking services such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.
The governing New Democracy party supported the measure, while several opposition parties voted against it and PASOK abstained. Parents will not be able to override the minimum age, and children with existing accounts will face the same restrictions.
How Greece plans to enforce the rules
Social media companies must introduce compliant age-verification systems. According to Greece’s Digital Governance Ministry, platforms can use Kids Wallet, Gov.gr Wallet or other compliant methods; no particular app is mandatory.
Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou said the system would limit the information shared with platforms.
“We do not give platforms any of our children’s personal data whatsoever,” Papastergiou said when presenting the system, according to The Next Web.
Enforcement will use the Digital Services Act framework, with responsibilities shared among Greek authorities, regulators in platforms’ EU home countries and the European Commission. The law does not establish new fines for children or their parents.
Europe’s growing fight over children’s screen time
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has argued that social media’s design encourages excessive use, affecting children’s sleep, concentration and time with friends. Greece is also among seven European Union countries working with the European Commission on age-verification standards.
The move follows Australia’s ban for children under 16, which took effect in December 2025. France attempted a similar under-15 restriction, but its Constitutional Council struck it down in August 2026 over concerns about restrictions on freedom of expression.
Greece’s approach could strengthen pressure on technology companies to build age checks into their services before more European governments adopt similar rules.
The privacy problem behind age verification
The challenge is that a system designed to protect children could also change how adults access social media. Proton VPN warns that requiring platforms to verify ages could force adults to prove they meet the minimum age, potentially weakening online anonymity.
The ministry says the framework does not require blanket identity checks or users to send identity documents to platforms. Age tokens can confirm eligibility without revealing a name or exact birth date. Privacy risks will depend on how platforms and verification providers implement those checks.
There is also the question of enforcement. Children may attempt to bypass restrictions using another person’s credentials or alternative services, making the ban difficult to enforce consistently.
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What users and technology teams should watch before January
When the restrictions begin, they will cover children born in 2013 or later. Greece calculates eligibility by calendar year, so children born in 2012 will qualify from Jan. 1, 2027, even before their actual 15th birthday. Existing accounts are not exempt, and parental consent cannot override the restriction.
Families should review each platform’s implementation notices before January, particularly any instructions about account access and options for saving content or contacts. They should also check which services remain available rather than assume that every app with messaging features falls outside the rules.
Adults who encounter verification requests should check who performs the assessment, what information is requested and how long it is retained. A process that confirms eligibility can expose less information than one that sends identity documents directly to a social network. Users should follow verification instructions through the platform’s official app or website.
For technology teams evaluating age-verification providers, the practical questions include what data reaches the platform, what the provider retains and how an incorrect age assessment can be challenged. These are useful checks when assessing a system’s privacy and reliability, alongside its ability to identify ineligible users.
The rollout will also show how platforms handle existing accounts and attempted circumvention. Readers should watch for clear implementation guidance and evidence that age checks work without collecting more personal information than necessary.
Read more: Australia’s preparations for legal action against major social platforms show how enforcing minimum-age rules can put verification methods and users’ privacy under scrutiny.