During the presentation of Greece’s National Strategy for the Protection of Minors from Internet Addiction at the Greek Permanent Representation in Brussels, Minister of Digital Governance Dimitris Papastergiou emphasized the urgent need to address minors’ internet addiction and enhance their protection. He stated, “We must confront this issue directly. Just as we wouldn’t allow a 12-year-old to navigate the streets of Brussels alone without guidance, we have the same obligation to oversee their online activities. We need to be aware of what they are viewing, how many hours they spend online, and whom they are communicating with.”
Highlighting the importance of collective action, Papastergiou remarked, “The European Union must collaborate effectively and work through existing obstacles. It is heartening to see a shared understanding forming around this critical global concern of internet addiction, which affects not only Greece but all of Europe and beyond.” He stressed the necessity for action, noting that the issue worsens daily, with more children becoming engrossed in digital addiction. He affirmed that Greece has developed a National Strategy and technological solutions to combat this problem, which is a priority for Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The minister also mentioned the Gov.gr Wallet, utilized by 5.2 million citizens for storing digital documents like ID cards and digital tickets. “We are expanding this digital wallet to include online identification for children. However, it is crucial to communicate with our children about the distinctions between online life and reality. We must strike a balance with mobile phone usage, which is where parental control tools come into play. While such tools exist, we recognize they aren’t always effective, prompting us to create the Kids Wallet. This aims to establish a user-friendly parental control system and tackle the critical issue of age verification,” he explained.
“As online platforms seek reliable methods for age verification in Greece and beyond, the Kids Wallet could serve as a valuable resource for this purpose. It also facilitates in-person transactions,” he added.
Papastergiou underscored the necessity for collaborative efforts: “Platforms cannot design separate applications for each country, so we must unite and act quickly to implement age verification across platforms. We believe that platforms are committed to providing content appropriate for children once they can accurately verify users’ ages. However, responsibility also lies with us; we must ensure immediate age verification and collaborate with platforms and parents alike to safeguard children.”
In conclusion, he stated, “Addressing digital addiction will require coordinated action from all EU member states in collaboration with local communities, organizations, and industry leaders. Greece is prepared to support any European-level initiatives. We envision a world where our children are safe, and we are optimistic about achieving this together. It is a collective mission that necessitates participation and commitment from all.”
Vasilis Koutsoumpas, the Prime Minister’s digital policy advisor, highlighted the need for targeted regulatory measures at the European level to address gaps in the current framework. “We need mandatory technical standards that promote platform-friendly and non-addictive designs, along with establishing a uniform digital adulthood age of 15 for responsible usage. A coordinated European approach is essential to provide clear guidelines for platforms to implement these proposals,” he stated.
The event garnered significant attention in Brussels, with representatives from various member states, the Polish presidency, the European Commission, major tech corporations like Meta and Google, as well as representatives from Digital Europe, Microsoft, and civil society organizations all in attendance. (13/3/25)
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