ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek officials have announced comprehensive legislation prohibiting children aged 15 and younger from accessing social media platforms, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hoping the initiative will encourage the European Union to establish uniform age restrictions across all 27 member nations.
The upcoming legislation will focus on social media services where users can establish profiles, communicate with others, and post content, including platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
When the law takes effect, social media companies must re-verify every user’s age throughout Greece to eliminate accounts belonging to those 15 or younger. Government officials say their primary responsibility will involve monitoring platform compliance and responding to reported infractions.
Enforcement violations will be forwarded to authorities in the country where each social media company operates or to EU leadership. Companies face potential penalties including fines reaching 6% of worldwide revenue, ongoing daily penalties until they comply, or operational limitations.
Speaking directly to young people in a Wednesday social media video, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed the restrictions, explaining that parents and teenagers have shared with him how excessive social media use creates stress, anxiety, and sleep problems.
“Now I’m certain that many young ones will be angry. If I was at your age, perhaps I’d feel the same way too. But our role, my role isn’t always to be pleasant,” Mitsotakis said.
“If something makes us feel more anxious or worse, lesser than who we really are, then it’s perhaps best that we put a stop to it.”
The Greek leader emphasized that the legislation doesn’t aim to separate young people from technology but rather shield them from the “addictive design of certain platforms and their profit model that’s grounded in how long you spend in front of a mobile phone screen that denies you your innocence and freedom.”
Mitsotakis indicated the new legislation should be presented this summer and become operational at the beginning of next year.
The Greek initiative follows France’s lead, which implemented similar social media restrictions for children 15 and under earlier this year.
In correspondence to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Mitsotakis called for establishing a “unified European framework” before year’s end to support national efforts protecting minors.
The Greek prime minister recommended EU-wide social media prohibitions for youth 15 and younger, consistent age verification systems, requiring platforms to re-confirm user ages every two years, and creating an organization for member countries and the commission to evaluate violations and rapidly implement penalties.
