PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the ban in a TikTok video on Wednesday. It takes effect on 1 January 2027. Enforcement will rely on a state-mandated app<\/a> on every device. Around 80% of Greeks support the measure, according to a February poll.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Greece has announced it will ban children under 15 from accessing social media<\/a> platforms, with the prohibition coming into force on 1 January 2027. <\/span><\/p>\n Prime Minister <\/a><\/span>Kyriakos Mitsotakis<\/span> made the announcement on Wednesday in a video posted to TikTok, a deliberate choice, he said, to reach teenagers directly before the ban removes them from the platform. The legal framework is expected to be in place by mid-2026.<\/span><\/p>\n The ban will apply regardless of parental consent, closing an exemption that has weakened similar restrictions in other jurisdictions. Enforcement will be handled through a state-mandated application installed on all personal devices, giving the measure a technical rather than purely regulatory teeth.<\/span><\/p>\n The scope extends beyond social media to include protection from online gambling, alcohol and tobacco promotion, and explicit content. Mitsotakis told his young audience: \u201cOur aim is not to keep you away from technology<\/a> but to combat addiction to certain applications that harms your innocence and your freedom.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n The announcement has been in the making for several weeks. In March, Mitsotakis told a Bloomberg event in Athens that the evidence was \u201cunambiguous\u201d and that \u201caddictive scrolling is damaging to their mental health.\u201d<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n Wednesday\u2019s TikTok video confirmed the decision and set the implementation date. The Greek government has already moved in this direction before the formal ban: mobile phones have been outlawed in schools, and parental control platforms have been established to limit teenagers\u2019 screen time. <\/span><\/p>\n A poll by ALCO published in February found approximately 80% of Greeks surveyed backed a ban.<\/span><\/p>\n Greece becomes one of a small number of countries to move from stated intent to formal law on child social media access. <\/span>Australia<\/span> was the first country in the world to implement such a ban, blocking children under 16 in 2025. <\/span><\/p>\n Slovenia, Britain, Austria, and Spain have since announced they are working on similar legislation. Mitsotakis explicitly framed Greece\u2019s move as a bid to shift European Union policy: <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOur goal is to push the European Union in this direction as well,<\/em>\u201d he said, describing Greece as among the first countries to take such an initiative but expressing confidence that it would not be the last.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
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