PM: Greece Considering Ban on Social Media for Under-16s

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 Greek PM announced the news 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 revealed that Greece may soon follow Australia’s lead in setting age restrictions for social media use.

“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,” Mitsotakis said. “I have asked my team to work closely with your team to see how we can implement this.”

He stressed that while the policy may be challenging to enforce and not a “perfect solution”, inaction was not an option. Another major concern, he noted, is the impact of artificial intelligence and chatbots on children.

“We don’t know what the consequences of this use will be, but we are sure that things are not going well,” he said. “We as leaders need to do something about this. First, help the parents. It is not only their responsibility.”

The prime minister pointed to steps already taken in Greece, including the ban on smartphones in schools, which he described as a “massive change” in the classroom environment. He also highlighted the launch of the Parental Control tool on the gov.gr platform, which links children’s data with social media platforms to verify their eligibility for online access.

“This is the first step. Parents must create an account on this page in order to protect their children,” Mitsotakis explained, adding that they must also be attentive.

He concluded by stressing the 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.”

Source: tovima.com