Greece has summoned major technology companies to Athens next week to explain how they will keep children under 15 off social media when a new ban takes effect on Jan. 1.
Minister of State Akis Skertsos told WIRED Greece that the platforms must present the age-verification systems they plan to use and work with the government to make them effective. Parliament approved the law last month.
"Our message is simple," Mr. Skertsos said. He argued that child protections already possible in the United States can also work in Europe, with Greece serving as a pilot country.
He said age checks can rely on "zero-knowledge" technology, which tells a platform only whether a user is old enough, without sharing personal data.
The options include Greece's Kids Wallet app and European verification tools.
Mr. Skertsos acknowledged that some children will find ways around the ban. He said that was no reason not to have a rule, pointing to Australia, which has barred under-16s from social media since December 2025.
Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to 6% of their global annual revenue under the EU's Digital Services Act.
Mr. Skertsos said a European Commission freeze on national bans does not block Greece's law, because Greece completed the EU notification process beforehand.
Opposition parties voted against the bill. Mr. Skertsos blamed their opposition on pre-election politics.