Greece is entering a new phase of digital regulation by proposing a minimum age of 15 for social media access. With a projected implementation date of January 1, 2027, the Greek draft law aims to protect minors from risks such as cyberbullying and exposure to inappropriate content, balancing the need for safety with rights to information and expression.

The Greek Plan and the 15-Year Limit

The Greek regulation stipulates that starting in 2027, access to platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok will only be permitted for individuals who have reached the age of 15. Specifically, at the start of implementation, the restriction will apply to children born in 2013 and later. A critical point of the Greek proposal is that it does not provide for a parental consent exception for children under 15, thus diverging from other approaches.

Age Verification and Data Protection

Implementing this measure requires reliable age verification mechanisms that go beyond a simple declaration of birth date. The European EU KIDS Act proposal introduces "zero-knowledge proof" technology, which allows the verification of age requirements without revealing the user's identity, name, or exact birth date to the platform. In Greece, tools like the Gov.gr Wallet and the Kids Wallet are cited as appropriate examples for this process.

Greek Regulation vs. EU KIDS Act

While the Greek plan focuses on social networks, the proposed EU KIDS Act has a broader scope, covering video-sharing services, online games, and AI systems. The EU proposal also includes the possibility of "limited accounts" for ages 13-15 under parental control, an option currently absent from the Greek draft. It is noted that the EU KIDS Act is still under legislative development and is not yet an active Regulation.

Responsibilities and Sanctions

The responsibility for adhering to these limits lies primarily with the service providers rather than parents or children. Sanctions for non-compliant platforms can reach up to 6% of their global annual turnover, within the framework of the Digital Services Act (DSA). In Greece, oversight will be exercised by the National Council for Radio and Television (ESR), the Data Protection Authority, and EETT as the Digital Services Coordinator.