Social networks only from 15 years old: Greece is preparing a ban for children and demands a common rule for the EU

Greece seeks the introduction of a pan-European “digital adulthood” from 15 years old and at the same time preparing from January 1, 2027, limit the access of children under this age to social networks.

Athens proposes to abandon the situation where each of the 27 EU countries creates its own system, and establish a single European minimum age, mandatory age verification of users and a sanctions mechanism for platforms. The Greek side reiterated this at a European meeting dedicated to the safety of children on the Internet.

What exactly do they want to ban?

The restriction applies to services where users create profiles, publish content and publicly interact with each other – primarily Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and similar platforms. Regular private correspondence services are distinguished separately in the Greek plan and are not automatically equated to social networks.

“Athens News” analyzed the national plan in detail back in the spring in the material “In Greece they want to ban social networks for children under 15 years old”and also published 10 key points of the new system.

Just writing a different age won’t work.

One of the central ideas is to abandon the current practice of simply entering the user’s date of birth. Platforms will need to implement reliable age verification, and once the system is launched, re-verification of existing accounts.

The European Commission is already developing a pan-European technical age verification system, which should make it possible to prove the achievement of the required age without transferring a full set of personal data to the platform. Greece is participating in piloting such technology.

What is Kids Wallet

Greece’s Own Instrument – App Kids Walletlaunched back in the spring of 2025. It allows parents to confirm the child’s age and set restrictions on device use. We talked about its capabilities in more detail in the material about the launch of Kids Wallet.

At the same time, the technical side of age verification remains one of the most difficult issues. Previously, experts have already demonstrated vulnerabilities in European age verification prototypes – Athens News wrote about this in April 2026.

Why do authorities insist on restrictions?

The Greek government links the initiative to social media’s dependent mechanisms: infinite scrolling, auto-playing videos, constant notifications and recommendation algorithms. Other risks include cyberbullying, grooming, sleep disturbances, anxiety and content that may encourage minors to engage in dangerous behavior.

Official details of the Greek system published by the Greek governmentand the European technical model for age verification is European Commission.

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