Jakarta, INTI - On Wednesday, April 8, 2026, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that the country is looking at future plans to ban children under the age of 15 from accessing social media platforms.
Mitsotakis said that Greece is planning to implement this regulation on January 1, 2027, once approved by policymakers. The legislative process by the Greek parliament will reportedly take place in mid-2026.
"We have decided to push ahead with something difficult but necessary," said Mitsotakis.
The measure aims to better protect children from the negative effects of digital platforms, such as anxiety, sleep problems, and social media addiction. Previously, the Greek government has already banned mobile phones in schools and established parental control platforms to limit children’s screen time.
"If social media leads to feeling stressed or thinking less of oneself, then it's worth setting a limit," he added, noting that the addictive effect of social media must be changed.
Greece Hopes Other European Union Members Will Follow Suit
Mitsotakis also expressed hopes that other members of the European Union (EU) will also make similar regulations to restrict social media from minor users.
"Greece will be among the first countries to take such an initiative," he said in a video message. “Our goal is to push the European Union in this direction as well.”
Mitsotakis also wrote to the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, for the coordination of the EU framework by the end of 2026. This is because he thinks that national regulations alone will not be effective.
"National legislation is linked and influenced to a large extent by EU legislation," he said. "Unless we have an EU legislative framework…national legislation alone will be ineffective."
Conclusion
Greece is planning to implement regulations banning social media platforms from children under the age of 15. The Greek government is aiming to make the law come into force on January 1, 2027. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed that the law is aimed at further protecting children from the negative impacts of social media as an addition to parents’ efforts. He also said that he hopes other European Union members will make similar laws and the EU Commission will make the European framework uniform, as national measures alone will not be as effective.
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