Greece has announced plans to ban access to social media for under-15s, becoming the latest European country to restrict children's exposure to online platforms.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the move was aimed at tackling rising anxiety and sleep problems among young people, as well as what he described as the addictive design of social media.
The restriction will come into force from January of next year.
In December, Australia became the first country to require platforms like TikTok and YouTube to remove accounts held by under-16s or face significant fines. Countries such as France, Austria, and Spain are also adopting similar measures.
The UK government is considering a ban for under-16s, and Ireland and Denmark are exploring similar regulations.
Social media companies argue that blanket bans could be ineffective and difficult to enforce, risking further isolation for vulnerable teenagers. Notably, Reddit is currently challenging Australia's law in court.
In a video message on TikTok, Mitsotakis acknowledged the pressures faced by young people, saying: Many young people tell me they feel exhausted from comparisons, from comments, from the pressure to always be online. He added that parents have reported their children's struggles with poor sleep and anxiety related to social media use.
The planned restriction has been characterized as difficult but necessary by Mitsotakis, stressing the importance of protecting young users from the potential harms of addictive online environments. He emphasized that the goal is not to entirely distance young people from technology, which can offer inspiration and creativity, but to address its damaging aspects.
Further regulatory details will be discussed in a later announcement, with Mitsotakis advocating for action at a European level, including proposals for mandatory age verification across platforms and a pan-European age ban.
The dialogue surrounding children's social media use has magnified recently due to emerging evidence linking social media usage to adverse mental health outcomes. In March, a court in the US held Meta and YouTube responsible for a case tied to a woman's childhood addiction to social media, leading to considerable public discourse on the matter.
