Greece is accelerating, Europe is watching, and experts are divided. The social media ban for under 15s announced by Athens reopens a global debate involving governments, platforms, and families: between drastic measures and progressive regulations, the front of countries ready to intervene is growing, while the question of the effectiveness of these tools remains open.
GREECE’S TURNING POINT
From January 1, 2027, Greece will ban access to social media for under 15s, with a law expected in Parliament by mid-2026. The measure stems from concerns related to “anxiety, sleep problems, and platform designs that create addiction.”
With a video on TikTok, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, prefacing that many young people would be angry with him, claimed the choice also on the European political level: “Greece will be among the first countries to undertake such an initiative” and “I am sure it will not be the last. Our goal is to push the European Union in this direction as well.”
The ban will concern platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, while messaging and video apps will be excluded. Companies will have to comply or face sanctions of up to 6% of global turnover as provided by the Digital Services Act (DSA).
At the same time, Athens has called for a common European framework, arguing that “national action alone will not be sufficient.”
THE AUSTRALIA EFFECT AND GLOBAL PUSH
The reference model remains Australia, the first country to have introduced a general ban for under 16s in December 2025, requiring platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, and Reddit to verify users’ ages or pay hefty fines.
Since then, a growing list of governments has launched similar initiatives. In the UK, restrictions are being discussed that also include limits on addictive features like infinite scrolling; in Austria, a ban up to age 14 with advanced age verification systems is under study; in Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has promised a crackdown defining social media as a “digital Wild West.”
In Asia, Indonesia has already banned access to “high-risk” platforms for under 16s, while China applies restrictions integrated into devices. In the United States, however, the approach remains fragmented: some states impose parental consent and age verification, but a federal ban seems unlikely.
Alternative models also emerge in Latin America: Brazil has introduced the obligation to link accounts to a guardian and banned features like infinite scrolling.
EUROPE BETWEEN BANS AND REGULATION
In Europe, the picture remains heterogeneous. France has already approved a first parliamentary green light for the ban for under 15s, although the legislative process is not concluded. Denmark has announced similar restrictions, while Norway has launched a public consultation.
Other countries are moving along less radical lines: Germany and Italy foresee parental consent below certain age thresholds, Portugal has introduced sanctions for platforms that do not comply with limits, and Poland is working on a law making age verification mandatory.
Overall, a dual trend emerges: on one side explicit bans, on the other systems of regulation and platform accountability.
WHAT EXPERTS THINK ABOUT THE RESTRICTIONS
Alongside political activism, the debate among experts is also growing. According to Sonia Livingstone of the London School of Economics, bans represent “an admission of failure” by governments in regulating big tech companies. The scholar argues that “we cannot regulate companies, so we can only limit children” and instead calls for stricter enforcement of existing rules and more incisive sanctions.
Along the same lines is Josh Golin of the organization Fairplay for Kids, who advocates laws based on “privacy and security by design” rather than generalized restrictions.
But criticisms also come on the social level. For some, in fact, bans are defined as a “lazy” and “unfair” solution, capable of penalizing a generation that uses social media also to get informed and socialize. Victoria Nash of the Oxford Internet Institute calls the measure “extreme” and warns it could push young people towards less regulated spaces on the web, lacking adequate protections.
At the same time, as Mitsotakis highlighted, the issue of risks remains central: “Children’s brains are still developing” and “uncontrolled use of such platforms can lead to stress, depression, loss of sleep… cyberbullying and social isolation.”
