ATHENS, Greece: Greece will introduce a nationwide ban on social media use for children under 15 from 2027, as the government moves to curb what it describes as the harmful impact of online platforms on young users.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said concerns over rising anxiety, sleep disruption, and the addictive design of social media drove the decision. "Greece will be among the first countries to take such an initiative," Mitsotakis said in a video message, adding that he had spoken with parents before making the decision. "I am certain, however, that it will not be the last. Our goal is to push the European Union in this direction as well."

The ban is scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2027, with legislation expected to be passed by Greece's parliament in mid-2026.

Public support for stricter controls appears strong. An opinion poll by ALCO published in February showed that about 80 percent of respondents backed a ban.

The Greek government has already taken steps to limit screen exposure among young people, including banning mobile phone use in schools and introducing parental control tools to help families manage teenagers' online activity.

Greece's move comes as several countries tighten regulations around children's access to social media.

Australia became the world's first country to impose such restrictions in December, banning users under 16 from accessing platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.

Major platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat, and Meta, have said they do not believe Australia's approach will effectively protect young users, though they have committed to complying with the rules.

Greek authorities acknowledged that enforcing the ban will depend heavily on cooperation from technology companies.

At present, Greece cannot compel platforms to verify users' ages but is urging them to adopt mechanisms already outlined under European Union rules. Parents are also expected to play a role in ensuring compliance.

Under the proposed framework, platforms will be required to restrict underage users or face penalties under the EU's Digital Services Act, which allows fines of up to six percent of global turnover, Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou said.

Mitsotakis has also called for coordinated action at the European level, warning that national policies alone will not be enough.

In a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, he proposed establishing a bloc-wide "digital age of majority" at 15, along with mandatory age verification and periodic re-verification across platforms.

He also urged the creation of a harmonized enforcement and penalty system, calling for a unified framework to be in place by the end of 2026.

Other countries, including the United Kingdom, Malaysia, France, Denmark, and Poland, are also considering or drafting similar measures.

However, EU legal constraints limit how far individual countries can go on their own.

"National legislation is linked and influenced to a large extent by EU legislation," State Minister Akis Skertsos said during a joint press conference. "Unless we have an EU legislative framework...national legislation alone will be ineffective."