Greece bans social media for children under 15 starting January 2027

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced Wednesday that the country will ban social media access for children under 15 beginning January 1, 2027, citing rising anxiety, sleep disruption, and addictive platform design as public health concerns. The ban represents one of Europe's most restrictive regulatory approaches to youth social media use and signals growing government intervention in digital wellness policy. The decision reflects broader Western anxiety about social media's mental health effects on adolescents, positioning Greece as a potential policy model for other democracies weighing similar restrictions. Implementation details and enforcement mechanisms remain to be clarified.