In brief
In Athens, Greek ministers met with representatives of major social‑media platforms to work out age‑verification strategies under a law that will bar users under 15 from social media. The meeting followed earlier talks with TikTok and Microsoft, and a Google session is scheduled for Friday. According to officials, platforms must present reliable verification mechanisms by December.
In Athens, 12 November 2026 at 4:10 p.m. Greek officials met with representatives from Meta Platforms, TikTok and Microsoft to forge age‑verification protocols ahead of a new child‑social‑media ban that will take effect on 1 January 2027.
The law, approved by Parliament on 23 October, will prohibit all Greek users born in or after 1 January 2013 – essentially children under 15 – from using any social‑media platform, and it will allow no parental or other exemptions.
Government officials cited recent research showing that more than half of first‑ and second‑year high‑school students began using social media between ages 10 and 12, that one in four adolescents consider their use excessive, and that one in five report feeling edgy, insecure or distracted when denied a mobile phone.
Talks with Meta Platforms
Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Minister Dimitris Papastergiou and State Minister Akis Skertsos sat with Meta’s Finnish representatives, covering Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and the newly launched Threads, according to a government statement.
"The aim is for platforms to design and present reliable age verification mechanisms that they will put into effect from January 1," the statement said.
The aim is for platforms to design and present reliable age verification mechanisms that they will put into effect from January 1.
Platforms are invited to submit a concrete plan by the beginning of December, the statement added.
Earlier in November, Greek officials also held sessions with TikTok and Microsoft. A meeting with Google officials is set for Friday, eKathimerini noted.
Under the new legislation, the platforms themselves will be held responsible for breaches, not children or parents. The law will also cover existing accounts held by children who fall under the age threshold.
While Meta, TikTok and Microsoft have not yet disclosed specific verification approaches, government officials emphasized that mechanisms must be robust, user‑friendly and legally compliant, and that the final design will be monitored by the Ministry of Digital Governance during the initial rollout months.
With the deadline for submitting plans in December, the Greek government plans to issue further guidance on compliance protocols next week, and to coordinate enforcement with the national privacy watchdog.
