Overview
- Greece, which announced the plan Wednesday on TikTok, will bar under‑15s from social platforms starting January 1, 2027, and its prime minister urged a common EU rulebook by late 2026.
- Germany’s federal government says it has no robust studies showing a ban helps minors and its proportionality review is still open, with an expert commission due to deliver recommendations in summer 2026.
- Australia’s first oversight report after its under‑16 ban found many teens still online because platforms rarely verify age, kids enter false birthdays or fool face checks, and five major services now face investigations and possible multimillion‑dollar fines.
- Policy ideas now in play range from national age limits to design rules, with Green politician Katharina Schulze pushing a 13+ threshold, age checks via the EU’s planned EUDI‑Wallet, parental consent for teens, and curbs on autoplay and endless scroll.
- Surveys show large majorities in Europe back tighter age rules, yet EU Digital Services Act limits and German parliamentary legal advice cast doubt on how far national bans can go and how any age gate would be enforced.