Greece has told TikTok y that it must show by early December how it will block users under 15. The meeting was the first in a series of talks with tech companies ahead of a national ban that takes effect Jan. 1.
“Our goal is to ensure that from Jan. 1, 2027, the age limit Greece has set will be applied in practice,” Minister of State Akis Skertsos told TikTok officials in Athens. “We now expect every platform to explain how it will comply.”
The government said simply asking users for their date of birth will not be enough, because children can lie. Platforms must check the ages of both new and existing users and explain how they will catch children who have given a false age.
Under the law, users born in the same year are treated as having the same birthday, Jan. 1. That means anyone born in 2013 or later will be barred in 2027.
Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou presented two government apps, Kids Wallet and Gov.gr Wallet, that can confirm a user is old enough without revealing their name or exact birth date. Companies may use other methods if they protect privacy and work reliably.
Each platform must name a senior executive responsible for meeting the deadline and demonstrate its system at a follow-up meeting in December.
Mr. Skertsos said a recent settlement by Meta in the United States had changed what is expected of the industry.
He said Greece could serve as Europe’s test case for protecting children online.
