Greece Bans Social Media for Under-15s - Sarmad

The Greek parliament approved a law banning social media use for individuals under the age of 15, joining a list of countries that impose restrictions on youths’ access to these platforms.

Last April, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced plans for the ban, citing TikTok—one of the most popular social media networks among Greek youth—as an example to illustrate the measure, which he described as “difficult but necessary.”

After a heated parliamentary debate that began on Thursday and extended into Friday, Mitsotakis’s conservative New Democracy party used its parliamentary majority to pass the bill amid a lack of support from any other parties, according to the Greek News Agency (ANA).

The opposition socialist party PASOK abstained from voting after proposing an alternative bill that would ban social media use for those under 13 and require parental supervision for users aged 13 to 14. Other left-wing and nationalist parties voted against the bill.

The law, which is set to take effect on January 1, will require social media platforms to verify users’ ages and impose strict penalties on companies that fail to comply.

Australia was the first country to impose a ban on social media use for individuals under 16, and more than 20 countries have enacted similar legislation.