Greece is preparing to ban social media for children under 15

Bloomberg reports that

Greece is set to propose a ban on the use of social media for anyone under the age of 15. This was announced by the country’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

He said the proposal would be put forward within “weeks”. He also clarified that the age limit the government plans to set would be 15.

Mitsotakis stated that the evidence of harm is “unequivocal”. He said that “addictive scrolling” through feeds is harmful to children’s mental health, and the authorities must respond to this.

Greece could thus become yet another European country seeking to restrict the use of social media by children and teenagers.

In January, France voted to ban children under 15 from using apps such as Facebook and Instagram from Meta Platforms Inc., TikTok from ByteDance Ltd. and Snapchat from Snap Inc.

Spain, for its part, has announced its intention to block children’s access to social media platforms, including Instagram and TikTok.

In addition, Portugal recently approved a bill restricting access for those under 16.

Mitsotakis also expressed the view that, over time, Europe would move towards a unified approach on this issue.

At the same time, it is noted that the strengthening of such initiatives could lead to a new conflict with US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticised the European Union’s approach to digital regulation affecting major American technology companies.

Despite this, the Greek Prime Minister stated that such measures are an important tool for curbing the influence of platforms. “We must also be honest with the platforms and tell them something very simple: you are already making enough money,” he said. “You do not need to make money off our children and teenagers as well.”