Greece passes social media ban for children under 15

Athens (TIP): Greece’s parliament approved a bill on Friday that bans the use of social media platforms for children under 15 amid growing concerns over their impact on the health and safety of minors.
The ban comes into force on January 1, 2027. Australia was the first country to pass legislation to curb the use of social media by minors, doing so last year. A similar law passed in France was struck down by the country’s Constitutional Council in August.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said social media platforms have 2-1/2 months to devise a way to verify users’ ages and protect their privacy.
Greece is among seven European Union countries seeking an age verification solution with the European Commission. Greece says it is standing by parents to help curb the “endless scrolling” that deprives children of sleep, concentration and time with their friends.
Thousands march for school funding in Greece
Thousands of students and teachers ?have rallied across cities in Greece, demanding more funding for ?education, including better facilities and smaller ?class sizes.
The demonstrations echo a wave of youth-led protests across Europe this month, including in France and Albania, where anger over rising costs and alleged corruption has led to clashes with police and major property damage.
Greek police said about 10,000 demonstrators, including school and university students, rallied peacefully in central Athens and the capital’s suburbs on Wednesday.
“From Greece to France, we want public, free education,” protesters chanted as they gathered outside Parliament, where students staged an overnight sit-in nearby before the rally.
Others joined the protests in Thessaloniki, Patras, Larissa and other cities ?across Greece in solidarity with growing demonstrations in France and elsewhere in Europe, where rallies demanding educational resources have morphed into angry demonstrations over soaring living costs.
In Greece, the protests add pressure to ?Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his centre-right government as the country prepares to hold elections in mid-2027 amid a weakening economy.
Greece struggled with a serious debt crisis from 2009 to 2018, during which the government agreed to spending cuts in exchange for three European Union and International Monetary Fund bailouts worth about 290 billion euros ($326bn).
But the measures have impacted Greek workers, who are among the poorest in Europe and struggle with stagnant wages, high rents and rising energy costs.
The average monthly salary of 1,500 euros ($1,685) sits at 2009 levels, with many young Greeks having been priced out of housing in cities by skyrocketing rents.