Greece’s parliament has passed a law banning children under 15 from social media, starting January 1, 2027. Platforms must verify users’ ages, and the government is pointing to its Kids Wallet app as the privacy-friendly way to do it. Greece follows Australia’s lead, while France’s attempt was struck down and the UK is preparing its own rules. Greece has passed a law banning children under 15 from social media, making it one of the first European countries to turn a teen social media ban into law. The restrictions take effect on January 1, 2027, and cover platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Lawmakers approved the bill late on October 22 after a debate lasting more than 16 hours. Only the governing New Democracy party voted in favor, while PASOK abstained and five other opposition parties voted against. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis first announced the plan in April, calling it a “difficult but necessary measure,” and blaming social media for rising anxiety, poor sleep, and addictive design. As with similar laws elsewhere, the job of checking ages falls on the platforms. That has privacy advocates worried, and it’s likely to spark the usual surge of interest in the best VPN apps. How Greece’s ban will work
The law is short but strict. Parents can’t give their children permission to sign up, and accounts created before January won’t be exempt. Which services are covered depends on how they work rather than what they’re called, with LinkedIn named alongside the big three…