Greece will ban access to social media for children under 15 starting January 1, 2027, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Wednesday.

“We have decided to go ahead with a difficult but necessary measure: ban access to social media for children under 15 years old,” Mitsotakis said in a video posted on TikTok.

The prime minister emphasized that the goal is not to isolate children from technology but to combat addiction to applications that “harm your innocence and your freedom.” He added, “Science is clear: when a child is in front of screens for hours, their brain does not rest.”

Greece will be among the first countries to implement such a restriction. The government intends to pressure the European Union to adopt similar rules across member states. Mitsotakis’ announcement follows a global trend: Australia requires social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat to remove accounts held by under-16s or face heavy fines. 

Indonesia began enforcing a similar law for under-16 users in March, issuing summons letters to Google and Meta for non-compliance. Austria plans to ban social media for children up to 14, with legislation expected this summer.