Mitsotakis Proposes EU Framework to Protect Minors from Digital Addiction

In a move reinforcing Greece’s institutional role at the European level, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposing a unified European framework to protect minors from digital addiction.

According to the letter, Greek legislation plans to ban access to social media for children under 15 years old starting January 1, 2027. Mitsotakis calls for national initiatives to be integrated into a broader EU regulatory framework, ensuring:

• Establishment of a European “digital age of majority” at 15 years old, with an EU-wide ban on social media access for younger users.
• Mandatory biannual age verification by all platforms to ensure ongoing compliance with the regulation.
• A fully harmonized EU-wide age verification system, replacing the fragmented approaches currently applied by member states.
• Creation of a coordination and enforcement mechanism at EU level, allowing both member states and the European Commission to jointly assess violations and expedite sanctions against non-compliant platforms.

“National action alone is not sufficient. A unified European framework must be in place by the end of 2026 to complement and strengthen necessary national initiatives,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

Institutional and Legal Context

The proposal aligns with:

• The European Strategy for a Better Internet for Children (BIK+), which sets standards for safe digital experiences.
• The Digital Services Act (DSA), which establishes accountability obligations for very large online platforms.

Expanding pilot age verification initiatives to a full EU framework aims at institutional harmonization, ensuring uniform application across all member states and clear rules for platforms. Mandatory biannual verification creates a continuous, controlled compliance mechanism, strengthening transparency and regulatory enforcement.

“Europe must choose its regulatory battles wisely. This is one of them,” Mitsotakis notes, highlighting the institutional benefits of coordinated European action.

Implementation Challenges

Despite a strong institutional framework, EU-wide implementation may face obstacles:

• Differences in national legislation and platform supervision across member states.
• Potential resistance from tech giants who may challenge mandatory age verification.
• The need to train and support national authorities to enforce sanctions and monitor compliance effectively.

The Greek KidsWallet program serves as a pilot institutional tool, allowing parents to set usage limits and ensuring children are exposed only to age-appropriate digital content, already incorporating age verification mechanisms compatible with a European framework.

Source: pagenews.gr