Greece Compels Parents to Install State Apps to Block Preteens From Social Media

Greek households with children under the age of 15 will face new digital restrictions when a national ban takes effect on January 1, 2027. The law requires parents to install state-backed applications on their children's devices to block access to social media platforms. This makes Greece one of the first European Union members to legally limit preteen internet use.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis signed off on the measure, calling it "difficult but necessary." The regulation covers major services including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. These companies must implement age-verification methods that are both reliable and proportionate to the user's age. Non-compliance will result in fines under the EU's Digital Services Act.

Parents must download either Kids Wallet or Gov.gr to comply with the new rules. These apps pair with a child's device to create a digital barrier against the restricted services. Digital governance and AI minister Dimitris Papastergiou stated the apps are designed to minimize data collection. They use "age tokens" to verify a user's age while discarding as little personal information as possible.

Papastergiou defended the domestic approach against waiting for continental legislation. "It would have been very easy to do absolutely nothing today and wait for the perfect European law. But the challenge is here. Children are sinking into the internet every day, and I believe a responsible government must do what it is obliged to do," he said.

The bill passed via the government's majority in Parliament after minority parties raised objections. Greece has already moved to restrict youth technology use by banning mobile phones in schools in 2024. Recent opinion polls show that Greek adults largely support the new social media limits for children.

Mitsotakis expressed a desire for the European Union to adopt similar measures. The European Commission recently proposed the EU Kids Act, which targets an outright ban for children under 13. While Australia was the first country to enact a full social media ban for minors, it has faced significant hurdles in implementing age verification. Greece will now test its state-app model to see if it can overcome those same technical difficulties.