Greece bans social media access for children under 15
publishers 14articles 15first reported 23 Oct, 06:29 UTCdeveloping since 23 Oct · 7 editions
Greece’s parliament has passed a law banning children under 15 from using social media, with the measure due to take effect on January 1, 2027.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s conservative New Democracy party used its parliamentary majority to approve the legislation after a heated debate. No opposition party supported it: the socialist PASOK party abstained after proposing a ban for children under 13 and parental controls for 13- and 14-year-olds, while other opposition parties voted against it.
The law requires social media platforms to use reliable age-verification systems and provides for penalties if companies fail to comply. Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Minister Dimitris Papastergiou said platforms must determine whether accounts and services are intended for adults. He defended the state-backed Kids Wallet system, saying it would disclose only whether a user is above or below age 15, rather than sharing a birth date or other personal data.
Mitsotakis announced the plan in April, describing it as a “difficult but necessary” step. The government says the restrictions are intended to protect children’s mental health and curb excessive or addictive use of social media.
Greece joins a growing number of countries restricting minors’ access to social platforms. Australia introduced a ban for users under 16, while several European countries are pursuing age-verification standards or similar limits. Critics of such bans have raised concerns about free expression, enforcement and effectiveness.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 5 articles, 4 with the publisher's own text; 5 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written within the hour the record first saw the story; the editor revised it.
- Publishers
- 14
- Source articles
- 15
- Given to the writer
- 5, 4 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 5
- This version written
- within the hour the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- revised
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and changed it before publication. Struck words were in the draft; underlined words are its corrections.
WHAT IT FLAGGED editor revise: Delete the unsupported reference to privacy concerns; the rest of the story is faithful to the sources. - "Critics of such bans have raised concerns about free expression, privacy, enforcement and effectiveness.": The sources report criticism concerning free expression, enforcement and effectiveness, but do not say critics raised privacy concerns.
THE DRAFT AND THE CHANGES
Greece bans social media access for children under 15
Greece’s parliament has passed a law banning children under 15 from using social media, with the measure due to take effect on January 1, 2027.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s conservative New Democracy party used its parliamentary majority to approve the legislation after a heated debate. No opposition party supported it: the socialist PASOK party abstained after proposing a ban for children under 13 and parental controls for 13- and 14-year-olds, while other opposition parties voted against it.
The law requires social media platforms to use reliable age-verification systems and provides for penalties if companies fail to comply. Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Minister Dimitris Papastergiou said platforms must determine whether accounts and services are intended for adults. He defended the state-backed Kids Wallet system, saying it would disclose only whether a user is above or below age 15, rather than sharing a birth date or other personal data.
Mitsotakis announced the plan in April, describing it as a “difficult but necessary” step. The government says the restrictions are intended to protect children’s mental health and curb excessive or addictive use of social media.
Greece joins a growing number of countries restricting minors’ access to social platforms. Australia introduced a ban for users under 16, while several European countries are pursuing age-verification standards or similar limits. Critics of such bans have raised concerns about free expression, privacy, enforcement and effectiveness.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →