Greece Introduces Automatic Online Protections for Minors

Greece is preparing to implement extensive digital safeguards designed to protect minors from potentially harmful online activities. Starting in October 2025, children under 15 will be automatically prevented from accessing social media platforms, while individuals under 18 will be barred from entering online gambling sites and digital tobacco shops. If fully adopted, Greece would become the first EU country to enforce such automatic protections at the device level.

Kids Wallet: Technology at the Core

The initiative centers on Kids Wallet, a state-supported mobile application that verifies users’ ages and enforces restrictions directly on devices rather than on individual accounts. Launched in May, the app already allows parents to set screen time limits, monitor usage, and establish a “digital identity” for each child. Parents link their tax identification information to the system, upload documents verifying age, and define access permissions. Once a child turns 15, parental approval is no longer required.

Although use of the app is currently optional, it may soon become mandatory, pending a final decision from Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. According to officials cited by Greek City Times, Mitsotakis has taken a personal interest in the project.

Tackling Addiction and Online Risks

The measures are designed to address two growing concerns: compulsive social media use and exposure to gambling digital platforms in Greece. Studies suggest platforms like TikTok employ reward-driven algorithms similar to gambling mechanisms, which can reinforce addictive patterns and affect memory, attention, and emotional health.

By automatically enforcing age restrictions on gambling sites and retail portals, Greek authorities aim to reduce exposure to highly addictive products. While the legal gambling age in Greece is 21, the new system will block all under-18 users, highlighting a gap between law and technological enforcement.

The initiative aligns with a wider European effort under the Digital Services Act to improve online safety for minors. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has supported the concept of a continent-wide “digital majority age,” stating: “Many European Union countries believe the time has come for a ‘digital majority age’ for access to social media. And I must tell you, as a mother of seven children, and grandmother of five, I share their view.”

International and Regional Developments

Greece’s move is part of a global trend. Australia will implement similar restrictions on October 10, blocking under-16s from social media and online dating services. Unlike Greece’s device-based system, Australia requires identity verification to create or maintain accounts on platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, although some content remains accessible without logging in.

Across Europe, countries including France, Spain, Denmark, and Italy are trialing programs to limit social media access for younger users. A European Commission delegation is scheduled to visit Athens to share technical expertise and evaluate Greece’s progress. Greek authorities have also engaged major tech companies, including Google, to ensure the system is practical and scalable, though the ultimate decisions rest with the prime minister.

Gambling Oversight and Public Trust

The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of Greece’s gambling sector, with investigations into alleged money laundering involving roughly 200 individuals, including civil servants. These cases, linked to gambling accounts, have prompted promises of stricter regulation for both licensed and unlicensed operations.

Kids Wallet is seen as part of a broader strategy to restore public confidence in online gambling regulation while shielding minors from exposure. If Prime Minister Mitsotakis approves the full rollout in October, Greece will join countries like Australia at the forefront of global efforts to reduce online risks for young users, each employing different technological models but sharing the same objective.

Source: Greece to Enforce Automatic Online Restrictions for Minors Starting October, World Casino Directory, September 30, 2025