Greece is on the path of France-Spain, the decision to ban the use of social media by under-15s

Greece has decided to ban the use of social media for teenagers under the age of 15 (Greece Social Media Ban). Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday that regulations will be drawn up in the summer of 2026 and will come into effect on January 1, 2027. This will be strict for using platforms like TikTok, Instagram or Facebook. The Prime Minister said that this step is to give digital protection to teenagers. After France, Spain and Portugal, Greece followed the same path. The decision raises the possibility of a new conflict with the United States over digital control of the European Union.

In a video message to the youth, Prime Minister Mitsotakis said that children’s brains do not rest because they spend long hours in front of screens. Due to constant comparison with others and online comments, children are facing a kind of mental stress. The Greek Prime Minister said that he has spoken to many parents about this. They complain that the children are not sleeping properly, are getting anxious easily and are spending long hours behind the phone.

A February poll by Greek opinion polling firm LCO found that nearly 80 percent of people voted in favor of the ban. The Greek government has already banned the use of mobile phones in schools and introduced ‘parental control’ platforms to limit teenagers’ screen time or phone time. Prime Minister Mitsotakis said Greece would be one of the first countries to take such an initiative. But I am sure, we will not be the last country. Our goal is to encourage the European Union to move forward in this direction.