Greece joins push to ban social media for minors

A growing number of countries are tightening rules governing children’s online activity amid fears of addiction.Published On 23 Oct 202623 Oct 2026The Greek parliament has passed a law banning the use of social media by people under the age of 15.Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s party, New Democracy, used its majority to pass the bill on Friday. None of the other political parties backed the bill in a heated debate that started on Thursday, despite the fact that a growing group of countries worldwide have introduced restrictions on minors.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Meta’s $18bn settlement: How social platforms will change for child userslist 2 of 3Why social media has become an election issue in Brazil’s presidential racelist 3 of 3Meta faces Australian lawsuit over alleged social media harm to childrenend of listGreece’s new laws will come into effect on January 1 2027. It will require age verification on social networks and impose harsh penalties should companies fail to comply.Mitsotakis previously announced plans for the ban in April, taking to TikTok, one of the most popular social networks with young people in Greece, to explain the “difficult but neces...