Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced this week that his government is exploring the possibility of banning social media use for children under the age of 16. The announcement was made during the “Protecting Children in the Digital Age” event, organized by Australia on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Mitsotakis said Greece may follow Australia’s example in setting age restrictions for social media. “We in Greece are ready to go a step further and seriously consider banning social media use by setting age restrictions like those implemented in Australia,” he said. “I have asked my team to work closely with your team to see how we can implement this.”
He acknowledged that enforcing such a policy could be challenging and is not a “perfect solution,” but added that inaction is not an option. Mitsotakis also highlighted concerns about social media, artificial intelligence and chatbots and their potential impact on children. “We don’t know what the consequences of this use will be, but we are sure that things are not going well. We as leaders need to do something about this. First, help the parents. It is not only their responsibility.”
The prime minister pointed to recent measures in Greece, including a ban on smartphones in schools and the launch of a Parental Control tool on the gov.gr platform, which links children’s data with social media platforms to verify online eligibility. “This is the first step. Parents must create an account on this page in order to protect their children,” he explained.
Mitsotakis emphasized shared responsibility between governments, families, and technology companies: “We have a responsibility to not only engage with tech companies, but also with the parents. Tech companies already have enough money. They don’t need to make more money by exploiting our children.”
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