Mitsotakis Orders Parents to Install State Apps to Block Preteens From Social Media
Greece's new law requires the use of government-issued software to verify age, a move critics say shifts the technical burden onto families.
By Leila Santos ·
The Greek government is transferring the technical duty of keeping preteens off social networks directly onto their parents. A law approved by parliament on Wednesday mandates that families download state-backed applications to block access for children under 15, effective January 1, 2027.
The legislation targets major platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. These companies must implement age-verification methods that are both proportionate and reliable. If they fail to comply, they face fines under the existing EU Digital Services Act.
The specific mechanism for compliance is a state app. Parents will download either Kids Wallet or Gov.gr and pair it with their child's device. This setup restricts access to the banned services. The system relies on age tokens designed to confirm a user's age while collecting the minimum necessary personal data, according to Digital Governance and AI Minister Dimitris Papastergiou.
Papastergiou argued against waiting for a unified European regulation. He stated that doing nothing while children engage with the internet daily was not an option for a responsible government. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the bill as difficult but necessary, noting that his government aims to push the broader EU in this direction.
The bill passed with the support of the governing majority, as minority parties opposed the measure. This follows a 2024 law that banned mobile phones in Greek schools. Opinion polls suggest that a majority of Greek adults support the new restriction on social media use for young children.
The European Commission recently proposed the EU Kids Act, which seeks a similar ban but only for children under 13. Greece's approach differs by setting the cutoff at 15 and requiring specific state tools for enforcement. Australia remains the only other nation with a full social media ban for minors, though its implementation of age verification has faced technical difficulties. Greece's reliance on paired state apps will now face similar scrutiny regarding how effectively it balances privacy with access control.
Source: Engadget
