National ban and legislative timeline

The Greek government is advancing draft legislation to prohibit minors under 15 years old from accessing social media platforms, with full enforcement scheduled for 1 January 2027. Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Dimitris Papastergiou and Minister of State Akis Skertsos presented the regulatory framework during a Cabinet meeting ahead of its submission to parliament. The initiative originates from policy debates on digital adulthood that began roughly two years ago, following an address by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the United Nations General Assembly. Speaking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, Papastergiou explained that Greece decided to enact national legislation immediately rather than wait approximately 20 months for the European Union to finalize its own directive.

The Kids Wallet verification mechanism

At the centre of the Greek enforcement architecture is the Kids Wallet application, a digital identity tool designed to confirm age qualifications without exposing personal information. The system verifies whether a user meets the required age threshold without transmitting birth dates, identity documents, or full names to commercial platforms. The application responds solely with an indicator confirming whether the account holder is above or below the legal limit. Papastergiou noted that Greece introduced the early technical specifications of Kids Wallet roughly 18 months ago to tackle age authentication, which he described as the central obstacle to regulating youth online access.

From 1 January 2027 we start, and in parallel we participate much more actively now because there is also a text on the table for European legislation so that the EU KIDS Act covers social media as well as artificial intelligence.

Division of platform and parental responsibility

The statutory framework assigns the principal obligation for verifying user ages and eliminating addictive interface features directly to platform operators. For platforms headquartered outside Greek borders, enforcement will proceed through the regulatory mechanisms established by the European Union Digital Services Act, involving the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission. Papastergiou stated that legal liability cannot fall equally on families and tech firms, though parents must prevent children from bypassing checks using adult devices or identity records. The administration is also preparing educational campaigns for families, teachers, and parent associations to help minors maintain a balance between digital spaces and physical life.

Comparison with European Union legislation

The Greek policy adopts a stricter position than the European Commission draft for the EU Kids Act, which contemplates restricted environments and parental consent options for users aged 13 to 15. The Greek proposal establishes a complete ban for 13- and 14-year-olds with no parental exemptions. Greek authorities plan to align domestic rules with final European directives once Brussels completes its legislative process. Papastergiou also stressed that future European rules must cover generative artificial intelligence, pointing to risks when young children query conversational models without protective filters.