JAKARTA - The Greek government has officially announced plans to ban access to social media for children under the age of 15 starting January 2027. This policy is part of a decisive step in dealing with increasing anxiety, sleep disorders, and psychological stress in adolescents triggered by excessive use of digital platforms.
The Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, called this policy a "difficult but necessary" step. In his statement, he highlighted the addictive design of social media which is considered to deliberately make users, especially children, continue to be glued to the screen.
According to Mitsotakis, many young people admit to experiencing mental fatigue due to the pressure to always appear perfect in cyberspace, ranging from social comparisons to negative comments that continue to flow. He also received complaints from parents regarding the quality of children's sleep that decreased and increased anxiety due to uncontrolled use of mobile phones.
However, the Greek government, emphasized that this policy is not to keep young generations away from technology. Digital media is still recognized as an important means for creativity, education, and inspiration. However, the business model of platforms based on "user attention" is considered to have gone beyond the limit and needs to be controlled.
This Greek move follows a global trend. Australia was previously the first country to require platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat to delete user accounts under 16 years of age or face large fines.
Meanwhile, France, Austria, and Spain are preparing similar regulations. The UK has even opened a public consultation, followed by Ireland and Denmark, which are still studying policy options.
At the regional level, Mitsotakis also encouraged the European Commission to establish a unified legal framework throughout the European Union. He proposed mandatory age verification for users under 15 years of age, a uniform ban throughout the region, and a user age review every six months.
However, this plan has drawn criticism from technology companies. Digital giants such as Meta and Google assess that a complete ban will be difficult to implement and has the potential to isolate teenagers who actually need online social support. In fact, platforms such as Reddit are known to challenge similar policies in Australia through legal channels.
The debate has heated up after a court ruling in the United States in March that declared Meta and YouTube responsible for a woman's addiction to social media since childhood. The jury concluded that the addictive design of the platform had an impact on her mental health, although both companies said they would appeal.
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