An open discussion on the protection of minors online was held at the Ministry of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence’s “Pavilion 12” at the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), organized by the Special Secretariat for Artificial Intelligence and Data Governance on Sunday, 6 September. During the event, the relevant initiatives of the Greek Government were presented, along with the need to address this major challenge at pan-European level.
In this context, it was highlighted that Greece has taken a leading role in the debate on the protection of minors online, promoting at European level since 2024 the need for a common “digital adulthood” threshold, reliable age verification and safer design of digital services. In particular, our country is leading the debate on the introduction of a minimum age for access to social media. At the same time, Greece has a comprehensive National Strategy for the Protection of Minors from Internet Addiction and has also developed reliable technological solutions for the implementation of this measure, such as Kids Wallet, in close cooperation with the European Commission.
The Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence, Dimitris Papastergiou, the Special Secretary for Artificial Intelligence and Data Governance, Vassilis Karkatzounis, the Head of the Digital Services Directorate of the National Telecommunications and Post Commission, Ioanna Choudalaki and the former Professor and Principal Investigator at the Department of Informatics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) and at CERTH/ITI, Ioannis Pitas, participated in the discussion moderated by journalist Virginia Dimaresi.
Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Dimitris Papastergiou said: “For us, and for the entire government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, protecting minors online is a priority. We believe that this requires a common European approach, harmonised rules and reliable age verification by platforms. Greece promptly highlighted this need, taking a leading role in shaping the European debate on a common framework for digital adulthood. At the same time, we launched a national initiative, with Kids Wallet serving as an innovative tool for secure age verification. We are now in the final stages of the legislative process, with the TRIS procedure having been completed. The necessary work is currently underway to finalize the draft and move it forward to the next institutional steps. Our aim is a coherent European framework, applied uniformly and setting clear and binding requirements for platforms. In Greece of gov.gr, in Greece of 2030, we proceed with institutional consistency and clear priority the safety of minors, shaping a digital environment, in which young people can benefit from the potential of the internet, safely and with confidence.”
Special Secretary for Artificial Intelligence and Data Governance, Vassilis Karkatzounis said: “Protecting minors online requires a combination of rules, technology and effective responsibility from the platforms. Greece has chosen to take a leading role in this debate, aiming for the national age limit to be a step towards a common, effective and privacy-friendly European solution. ”
Head of the Digital Services Directorate of the National Telecommunications and Post Commission, Ioanna Choudalaki, stressed: ” Protecting minors online requires appropriate age limits for access, effective age verification mechanisms, secure service design and close cooperation between national and European authorities to ensure that the rules are effectively implemented. EETT, as the Digital Services Coordinator, contributes to ensuring a safer digital environment for minors as well as to shaping a common European approach focused on the protection of children’s fundamental rights.”
Former Professor and Principal Researcher at the Department of Informatics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and CERTH/ICTEL, Ioannis Pitas, underlined: “The recent creation of digital worlds (media) layered over the physical world affects vulnerable individuals (e.g. young people) because the human brain evolved in the physical world. The widespread use of “psychological and social” engineering to change behaviour through the exploitation of brain mechanisms can lead to addiction and/or cognitive and emotional disorders. The solution is to change the business model in order to protect young people in particular.”
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Dimitris Papastergiou at the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair: “We want Greece in 2030 to be digitally sovereign, innovative, attract investment, and support research and businesses”
