ATHENS, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Greek government presented a draft legislation on Monday that would ban children under 15 from accessing social media from Jan. 1, 2027.
The proposed law would require social media platforms to verify users' ages, Minister of State Akis Skertsos, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis and Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Minister Dimitris Papastergiou told a news conference in Athens.
The initial focus would be on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, although the list of platforms covered could change, Papastergiou said.
According to the government, the proposed restrictions were intended to limit children's exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying and platform features that encourage excessive use, while preserving access to digital services needed for communication, education and everyday activities.
Skertsos said Greece aimed to become the first European country to introduce comparable legislation. He added that the proposal had been developed in consultation with relevant European authorities to ensure compatibility with the EU regulatory framework.
The legislation would be implemented under the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA). Platforms found to be in breach of applicable rules could face fines of up to 6 percent of their global annual turnover, Papastergiou said.
The initiative comes as European policymakers consider broader measures to strengthen online protections for children. The proposed EU KIDS Act is still going through the EU legislative process.
The proposed social media ban follows other government measures to protect minors, including a ban on mobile phone use in schools and the development of digital tools to improve children's online safety. ■