Overview
- Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who announced the plan Wednesday, set a parliamentary vote for the summer and a start date of January 1, 2027.
- The ban targets feed-driven platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, while services used mainly for messaging or video like WhatsApp, Messenger, Viber and YouTube would remain accessible.
- Implementation details are still in flux, with local reports pointing to a state Kids Wallet app for age checks and a minister saying platforms will be required to verify users’ ages under EU rules.
- The government cites anxiety, sleep problems and addictive design as reasons, notes it already bans phones in schools, and points to polling that shows about 80% public support.
- Athens urges EU-wide coordination as more countries move to age limits, while new research warns blanket bans can be hard to enforce and may push teens to workarounds like false ages or VPNs.