Greece recently introduced an initiative restricting social media access for minors under the age of 15, as part of its national strategy to protect the country’s youth from the harmful impacts of such platforms. Greece followed Australia, the first nation to introduce such a measure. Ms. Alison Duncan, Australia’s Ambassador in Athens spoke to To Vima Inernational Edition providing valuable insights regarding Australia’s experience with the measure.

In view of the fact that Greece is set to impose restrictions on minors under the age of 15 having access to social media, and given that Australia was one of the first countries to introduce such restrictions, could you please tell me if you believe that this measure is a step in the right direction in order to protect Greece’s youth?

Every country needs to decide what’s best for its own citizens. In Australia’s case, the government took the decision to establish a minimum age of 16 for the use of social media to protect young people from harm.

Has Australia’s experience with the restrictive measure been positive? Is there official data supporting Australia’s decision on the issue?

The minimum age obligation isn’t in effect yet. It was passed by the Australian Parliament in November 2024 but, in order to give industry and Australia’s eSafety Commissioner time to develop and implement appropriate systems, the obligation will come into effect no more than 12 months from Royal Assent. That means it’ll come into effect by the end of 2025. There’s a requirement for an independent review of the law within two years, which is expected to provide data on its effectiveness and whether any changes are needed.

How was the measure received by parents’ associations and the education community across the country?

The government conducted extensive consultation with young people, parents, mental health professionals, legal professionals, community, civil society groups and industry representatives during the development of the law.

Young people reported consistently throughout these discussions that they valued the connectivity and creative outlet offered by social media, but that they were also concerned by its addictive nature and ease of access to extreme content. Parents and carers felt unsupported to make evidence-based choices about when to allow their children to use social media and overwhelmed by pressure from children and other families. Respondents to a survey by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner showed that 95 per cent of caregivers said children’s online safety was the hardest parenting challenge they faced. Respondents to a survey by the state government of New South Wales showed 87 per cent in favor of a minimum age for social media use.

Using the law to set a minimum age was seen as removing ambiguity about when the ‘right time’ is for children to engage on social media and establishing a new social norm. But it preserves the ability to access beneficial social media platforms by allowing for messaging apps, games and services that primarily support health and education to be excluded from the age restriction. Furthermore, the law doesn’t contain any penalties for children or their parents. Enforcement provisions are targeted at social media platforms to incentivize them to introduce systems and processes to prevent under-age use.

In your opinion, could the measure be seen as a step towards restricting young people’s freedom?

All laws that regulate behavior restrict freedoms. They do so to give effect to rights and to protect society as a whole. There are several rights and freedoms that need to be weighed up when considering restrictions on minors’ access to social media. According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the best interests of the child need to be a primary consideration in all actions concerning children. Other rights and freedoms come into play as well, including freedom of expression, the right to privacy, and the right to protection from exploitation.

Despite significant pressure from governments, parents, children and child rights advocates, many social media platforms have not demonstrated a balanced approach to the promotion of the best interests of children who access their services over commercial interest. The new laws seek to minimise the harms experienced by young people on social media, while supporting their rights to digital participation and inclusion.