Greece to Impose Social Media Ban for Children Under 15 by 2027

With three quarters of young users entering social media before their teenage years, Greece’s ban underscores a deeper shift from awareness to enforcement, as policymakers increasingly view digital platforms not just as tools, but as environments requiring age-based limits

Greece will ban children under 15 from using social media beginning next year, a sweeping move that places the country at the forefront of a growing global effort to curb the influence of digital platforms on young users.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Wednesday that the restrictions will take effect on 1 January 2027, citing mounting concerns over anxiety, sleep disruption and what he described as the addictive design of social media platforms.

In a video message addressed to children, Mr. Mitsotakis warned that prolonged time in front of screens leaves little room for mental rest and exposes young people to relentless comparison and commentary online.

“Greece will be among the first countries to take such an initiative,” Mr Mitsotakis said. “I am certain, however, that it will not be the last. Our ⁠goal is to push the European Union in this direction as well.”

The decision follows stark data from the Greek Safer Internet Centre in Athens, which found that 75 percent of children using social media in Greece are of primary school age. Public opinion has largely aligned with the government’s stance, with polling firm ALCO reporting that 80 percent of adults support the restrictions.

Among parents, frustration has been building. “Ban them, shut them down. We’ve reached our limits… We parents need help,” one mother told Reuters before the policy was confirmed.

Others expressed more ambivalence, seeing the measure as a last resort rather than a first step. “I’d prefer a different approach, limiting mobile phone use within the family,” said Dimitris Daniil, 44. “But where that’s not possible, perhaps a ban would work as the extreme ⁠remedy.”

For teenagers, the policy cuts into what many see as a fundamental part of daily life. Katerina Daniil, 14, said social media is inseparable from her generation’s experience. “It is the way we learned since we were born,” she said. “I can control it – but then again I usually get carried away.”

Greece has already taken steps to limit children’s exposure to screens. Mobile phones are banned in schools, and the government has introduced parental control tools aimed at reducing screen time. The new law, however, goes further, placing legal limits on access itself.

The move comes amid a broader international shift. In December, Australia banned social media use for children under 16, becoming the first country to enact such a nationwide restriction. Since then, governments across Europe, including those in Spain, Austria and Slovenia, have begun exploring similar measures, while United Kingdom officials are weighing options ranging from digital curfews to stricter age limits.

In France, lawmakers have already moved closer to action. The Senate voted last month in favor of a ban, though disagreements remain over whether it should apply broadly or only to platforms deemed harmful to children.

At the same time, pressure is mounting in the United States, where a series of landmark legal cases has begun to test the liability of social media companies. Two recent trials found platforms responsible for harm linked to addictive features and design, intensifying scrutiny of the industry.

If implemented as planned, Greece’s policy could become Europe’s first full social media ban targeting young teenagers, signaling a decisive shift in how governments balance technological access with public health.

The question now is not whether other countries will follow, but how far they are willing to go.

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