Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has officially announced a new policy to prohibit individuals under the age of 15 from accessing social media, effective January 1, 2027.
This decision is driven by concerns surrounding the increasing levels of anxiety, sleep disturbances, and the addictive nature of social media platforms.
“We have decided to go ahead with a difficult but necessary measure: ban access to social media for children under 15 years old”, according to Mitsotakis.
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“Greece is among the first countries in the world to adopt such a measure”, the prime minister added. He also said that the movie would push the European Union to take similar action”.
“I know that some of your are going to be angry.... Our aim is not to keep you away from technology but to combat addiction to certain applications that harms your innocence and your freedom”.
"Science is clear: when a child is in front of screens for hours, their brain does not rest," he further says.
Slovenia, Britain, Austria, and Spain are reportedly in the process of implementing bans comparable to those pursued by Australia. Australia made history by being the first nation to implement restrictions on social media usage for individuals under the age of 16. This regulation regarding social media access for teenagers in Australia was put into effect in December 2025.
Indonesian Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid revealed a prohibition on social media usage for individuals under the age of 16 in Indonesia, in addition to Australia.
In March 2026, Hafid announced to the press that she had endorsed a governmental decree aimed at prohibiting individuals under the age of 16 from creating accounts on high-risk digital platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox.
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The implementation was said to begin gradually from March 28. “The basis is clear. Our children face increasingly real threats. From exposure to pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud, and most importantly addiction. The government is here so that parents no longer have to fight alone against the giant of algorithms.” Hafid says.
“We realize that the implementation of this regulation may cause some discomfort at first. Children may complain and parents may be confused about how to respond to their children’s complaints,” Hafid adds.
Several parents in Indonesia have expressed approval for the decision to restrict online access, as there is a mounting worry that unfiltered social media content may have a negative impact on children. Austria recently declared its intention to prohibit children under the age of 14 from using social media. The forthcoming legislation regarding this ban is expected to be introduced as soon as this summer.
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Before, AP announced that nations such as France and the UK were exploring potential actions to limit minors' access to social media platforms. Spain and Denmark have both declared their plans to implement a comparable limitation on digital platforms.