Greece’s parliament approved a law on Friday, 23 October 2026, that bans social media for children under 15. The ban is not already in force: it takes effect on 1 January 2027.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said platforms have about two and a half months to build age checks that also protect privacy. That is a deadline, not a system already running on every network.

The bill passed on the majority of the ruling New Democracy party. No other party voted for it. The socialist PASOK abstained after seeking an alternative: a ban under 13 and parental controls for 13- and 14-year-olds. The remaining parties voted against.

A joint release from Greece’s health and digital ministries says platforms bear responsibility for reliable age verification. Non-compliance can bring fines of up to 6% of global turnover. When a user’s age is in doubt, officials point to tools such as Kids Wallet — a possible method, not a check already mandatory everywhere.

Greece is among seven European Union countries asking the Commission for a shared age-verification approach. Athens presents itself as the first EU country to adopt such a framework. That is the Greek government’s claim, not a closed European inventory.

Australia legislated a ban for under-16s in 2025. A similar French law was struck down by the Constitutional Council in August. Other countries have announced or planned rules. Different texts, different calendars.

The Greek government cites endless scrolling, lost sleep and damaged concentration. Critics ask how the rules will be enforced and how well they will work. The 23 October vote is a fact. What happens from January 2027 still has to be checked.

Image: Hellenic Parliament, Athens — Andreas Trepte, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons. The building, not Friday’s vote.

Sources consulted: Greece passes social media ban for children under 15 — The Straits Times; Greece joins push to ban social media for minors — Al Jazeera; Hellenic Parliament passes bill on minors’ social-media protection — Ministry of Health.