April 8, 2026

Greece has announced plans to ban access to social media for under-15s, becoming the latest European country to restrict children’s exposure to online platforms.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the move was aimed at tackling rising anxiety and sleep problems among young people, as well as what he described as the “addictive design” of social media.

The restriction will come into force from January of next year.

In December Australia became the first country in the world to require TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and other top sites to remove accounts held by under-16s, or face heavy fines. France, Austria and Spain are among a growing number of nations pursuing similar curbs.

 

Greece is moving to slap a ban on social media access for under-15s, the latest European crackdown on Big Tech’s grip on children, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis blasting the platforms’ “addictive design” and linking them to rising anxiety and sleep problems. The restriction is set to kick in in January, as countries across Europe race to rein in youth exposure online—Australia already forcing major apps to scrub under-16 accounts, and others from France to the UK now weighing tougher limits. Social media giants insist blanket bans won’t work, but the political backlash is building fast.

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