A significant change is coming to how minors access social media platforms. Ministers of State Akis Skertsos and Digital Governance Dimitris Papastergiou have unveiled a new regulatory framework that sets the minimum age for accessing social media at 15 years old. According to government data, one in four students reports excessive social media use and says they need help cutting back. The intervention aims to address risks associated with problematic use, including sleep disruption, difficulty concentrating, exposure to inappropriate content, and negative impacts on mental health.
Read also: A European brake on children’s social media use is coming: age limits, country proposals, and available tools
How the under-15 social media age limit will work
The age restriction will be incorporated into Law 5099/2024, the Greek implementing legislation for the European Digital Services Act (DSA). No single mandatory method of age verification has been specified. Solutions will need to be reliable, minimize personal data collection to what is strictly necessary, and protect user privacy. Examples cited include the Kids.gov.gr Wallet and the Gov.gr Wallet, though equivalent alternatives will not be excluded.
For the purposes of implementing the age limit, children born in the same calendar year will be considered to reach the relevant age threshold on January 1st, ensuring uniform treatment of children within the same school year and age group. Oversight will be assigned to existing competent authorities — primarily the National Council for Radio and Television (ESR) and the Hellenic Data Protection Authority. Where a service provider is established in another EU member state, complaints can still be filed in Greece, and EETT — the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission, acting as Digital Services Coordinator — will forward them to the relevant authority in the provider’s country of establishment.
For Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs), where the European Commission has already initiated proceedings for a specific infringement, the Commission itself will take over the investigation and enforcement of penalties. In all other cases, jurisdiction remains with the member state where the platform is established.
The measure takes effect from January 1st
No new regulatory body will be created, nor will a standalone fines system be established. The provisions are set to come into force on January 1st, 2027.
In parallel, the European EU KIDS Act is currently being developed, with a broader scope covering video platforms, online games, app stores, and artificial intelligence services.
The key difference is that the Greek approach sets a blanket access limit at age 15, while the European proposal envisages the possibility of a special restricted account for children aged 13 to under 15, created by a parent or guardian. A full, independent account will not be permitted before the age of 15. The European proposal is not yet binding law, and Greek legislation will be adjusted if and when that becomes necessary.
