Greek PM calls for EU-wide ban on social media for under-15s

Europe should introduce an EU‑wide ban on social media for children aged under 15, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wrote in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday.

On the same day, Mitsotakis announced in a video published on TikTok that Greece plans to implement such a ban from 2027.

“I’m sure that those much younger than me will be angry with us,” the Greek leader said. “If I were your age, I would feel the same. But our role is not to be popular.”

The law is expected to be voted on this summer and come into effect from 2027.

Greece has been pushing for EU action on kids social media for months.

In taking national action on the issue, Athens joins a raft of other EU countries eyeing age restrictions for social media, including France, Spain, Denmark, Cyprus, Austria and Germany.

An EU ‘Digital Age of Majority’ at 15

In his letter to von der Leyen, Mitsotakis argued that national action alone would not be enough.

He called on Brussels to establish an EU “Digital Age of Majority” at 15 – and introduce a “Union‑wide prohibition on access to social media platforms for users below this threshold”.

Regarding age verification, Mitsotakis suggested that Greece’s “Kids Wallet” parental‑control app – already in use to try to stop minors buying tobacco and alcohol – could serve as a model for the rest of Europe.

Back in July, the Commission unveiled a prototype age verification app for EU countries to use to power national age check apps in a bid to boost online child safety.

(nl)