The Greek government is preparing legislation aimed at limiting the use of social media by minors under the age of 15, in an effort to address digital addiction among young users.
The initiative is expected to be announced later today by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Restrictions on popular platforms
According to the proposed framework, access for children up to the third year of lower secondary school will be restricted on popular social media platforms.
The regulation will apply to services such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok and aims to strengthen the protection of minors in the digital environment.
Under the plan, minors in this age group will not be allowed to create or maintain personal accounts on these platforms, limiting their ability to exchange messages through social media services.
Filters for harmful online content
The draft legislation also provides for the activation of filters designed to prevent minors from accessing harmful content.
This includes platforms related to gambling, tobacco products and alcohol, as well as dating websites or sites containing sexual content.
How the system will work
A key issue for the implementation of the measure is the verification of users’ real age.
Social media platforms, most of which are based in other European Union member states, will be required to adapt their tools in order to comply with the new framework.
As part of this effort, the Greek authorities intend to make existing parental control applications available to the platforms, including the Kids Wallet application, as an additional mechanism for age verification.
Milder measures for older teenagers
For users aged between 15 and 18, the government is considering milder restrictions aimed at tackling digital addiction while promoting safer online behaviour.
Preparation of the legislation has been carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Governance, with other relevant authorities also involved.
The mental health of minors has been identified as a key factor behind the initiative, which forms part of a broader international discussion about the use of social media by young people and its potential impact on their daily lives and psychological wellbeing.
The government expects the proposal to attract broad social support and it is expected to be submitted to Parliament for discussion in the coming period.
Source: To Vima