Greece Sets Precedent for Europe with New Digital Age Restrictions for Minors

As digital governance becomes a central concern for European policymakers, Greece has formally adopted one of the continent's first comprehensive restrictions on social media access for young people. The measure, which received final approval from the Greek parliament this week, establishes a clear legal framework for limiting online engagement among minors.

The new legislation mandates that major social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X, implement reliable and proportionate age-verification methods. These requirements are designed to ensure that users under the age of fifteen cannot create accounts or access content without proper verification, marking a significant shift in how digital platforms operate within the country.

To enforce these rules, the government requires parents to download specific state-backed applications known as Kids Wallet or Gov.gr. These apps, which must be paired with a child's device, will serve to block access to social media services. The system utilizes 'age tokens' to verify a user's age while minimizing the collection of personal data, a design choice intended to protect the privacy of young users during the verification process.

The law is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027, following its passage by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's majority government. Although minority parties opposed the bill, Mitsotakis described the measure as 'difficult but necessary,' arguing that it was better to act now rather than wait for a perfect European-level law to emerge.

Non-compliance with the new act will result in fines under the existing EU Digital Services Act. Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister for digital governance and AI, emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that children are increasingly immersed in the internet and that responsible governance requires immediate action.

This national move follows Greece's 2024 decision to ban mobile phones in schools and aligns with growing support among the adult population for stricter digital controls. While Australia was the first nation to enact a similar ban, it has faced challenges in implementing age verification. Greece aims to influence broader EU policy, a goal supported by the recent introduction of the EU Kids Act, which currently proposes an outright ban for children under thirteen.

The implementation of this law positions Greece as a testing ground for digital age verification in Europe. As the January 2027 deadline approaches, the success of the 'age token' system and the enforcement mechanisms will be closely watched by other European nations considering similar regulatory frameworks.