Greece joins push to ban social media for minors

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkGreece's ruling New Democracy party forced through the social media ban despite heated debates across two parliamentary sessions, despite having no support from other parties. [File: Ramil Stdikov/Reuters]By Al Jazeera Staff and AFPPublished On 23 Oct 202623 Oct 2026The Greek parliament has passed a law banning the use of social media by people under the age of 15.Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s party, New Democracy, used its majority to pass the bill on Friday. None of the other political parties backed the bill in a heated debate that started on Thursday, despite the fact that a growing group of countries worldwide have introduced restrictions on minors.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Meta’s $18bn settlement: How social platforms will change for child userslist 2 of 3Why social media has become an election issue in Brazil’s presidential racelist 3 of 3Meta faces Australian lawsuit over alleged social media harm to childrenend of listGreece’s new laws will come into effect on January 1 2027. It will require age verification on social networks and impose harsh penalties should companies fail to comply. Mitsotakis previously announced plans for the ban in April, taking to TikTok, one of the most popular social networks with young people in Greece, to explain the “difficult but necessary” measure that his government planned to take.The opposition socialist PASOK party abstained from the vote, after seeking an alternative bill that would have banned social media for under-13s and parental controls for 13- and 14-year-olds.The ban brings Greece into line with about 20 countries that now restrict access to social media apps for young people. Australia, France, Brazil, Indonesia, Austria, Denmark, and the UK are among those that have either introduced or plan similar restrictions.Critics say social networks use addictive algorithms to glue kids to their screens, and warn excessive scrolling can damage their mental health.Bans have also faced pushback though, with questions about their enforcement and how effective they really are.