Greece’s social media ban asks what we owe the young: a humanist column

Greece’s social media ban for under-15s passed parliament on Friday, 23 October. This column is opinion, anchored in the verified facts below.

Al Jazeera reports that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s New Democracy party used its majority to pass the law. No other party backed it. The socialist PASOK party abstained. It had proposed a ban for under-13s plus parental controls for 13- and 14-year-olds. The law takes effect on 1 January 2027. Platforms must verify ages or face penalties that the report does not specify.

A humanist test for the social media ban

Humanists start from human welfare and evidence. Both matter here. Children deserve protection from products built to hold their attention. Critics say addictive algorithms can harm young people’s mental health. That concern is serious. The research is still debated.

A ban is also a blunt tool. Enforcement worries are real. Age checks can mean identity checks for every adult user. Young people, including isolated teenagers who doubt their family’s beliefs, often find community online. A rule that cuts them off should have to prove its worth.

Greece is not alone. About 20 countries now restrict young people’s access, and Al Jazeera names Australia, France, Brazil, Indonesia, Austria, Denmark and the United Kingdom. That gives us a natural experiment. Governments should publish results after two years. They should measure sleep, school attendance, reported loneliness and any shift to less safe corners of the internet.

Platform design should carry some of the burden as well. Rules on recommendation algorithms and default settings protect every user, not only the young. Digital literacy lessons teach children to question what they see.

Compassion without evidence is only sentiment. Evidence without compassion is cold. Policy for children needs both, and it needs humility when the data arrive. We argued the same about relief work in our column on Thailand flood relief.

Opinion column. Fact basis: Al Jazeera (23 October 2026) and Xinhua (23 October 2026). Arguments and conclusions are the author’s own.