Greece to Prohibit Social Media Use for Children Under 15 Starting in 2027

On Wednesday, Greece revealed plans to prohibit social media access for individuals younger than 15 years old beginning in 2027.

The nation’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, officially confirmed the forthcoming ban and explained that it aims to address the "addictive design" inherent in social media platforms.

Mitsotakis shared the announcement through a brief social media video posted earlier today. In the clip, the Prime Minister stated: "Many young people tell me they feel drained from comparisons, from comments, from the pressure to always be online."

He further remarked: "Greece will be among the first countries to implement such a measure. However, I am confident it will not be the last. Our objective is to encourage the European Union to follow this path as well."

The Prime Minister characterized the restrictions as "challenging but essential."

"The addictive nature of certain apps, coupled with a business model focused on capturing your attention — on how long you remain in front of a screen — robs you of your innocence and your freedom. This must be stopped at some point," he emphasized.

Australia was the pioneer in mandating social media platforms to delete accounts belonging to users under the age of 16. Failure to comply with this regulation could result in fines reaching A$50 million ($32.5 million). Following this, the UK government has initiated a consultation to consider enacting a comparable social media ban for those under 16.