Greece to ban social media for under-15s from next year

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.

The UK government has launched a consultation on whether to implement a ban for under-16s, while Ireland and Denmark are considering similar measures.

Social media companies argue that blanket bans will be ineffective, difficult to enforce and could isolate vulnerable teenagers. Reddit is challenging Australia's law in court.

In a video message posted on TikTok on Wednesday, Mitsotakis said: "Many young people tell me they feel exhausted from comparisons, from comments, from the pressure to always be online."

He said he had spoken with parents who said their children do not sleep well, are anxious and are always on their phones.

Calling the planned restriction "difficult but necessary", he said the government's goal was not to distance young people from technology which "can be a source of inspiration, knowledge and creativity".

"But the addictive design of certain applications, and a business model based on capturing your attention - on how long you stay in front of a screen - takes away your innocence and your freedom. That has to stop somewhere."

Further details of the regulatory framework to enforce the ban will be outlined later on Wednesday.

Mitsotakis also said Greece would push for action at a European level. In a letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, he called for a common EU framework to "complement and reinforce the necessary national initiatives for the protection of minors".

His proposals include mandatory age verification for under-15s across all platforms, a pan-European ban for that age group, and a requirement for platforms to re-check users' ages every six months.

The debate over children's use of social media has intensified in recent months, triggered by increasing evidence of the damaging effect it can have on mental health.

In March, Meta and YouTube were found liable in a landmark US trial over a woman's childhood addiction to social media.

Jurors concluded that Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and Google, the parent company of YouTube, had intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed her mental health.

Meta and Google said they disagreed with the verdict and intended to appeal.

Meta said: "Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app."