Dimitris Papastergiou

Stories

Greece bans under-15s from social media

Overseeing age-verification rollout ahead of January 1, 2027

Greece's parliament approved a ban on social media for under-15s on October 23, 2026. It takes effect January 1, 2027. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's New Democracy party passed it alone, after a debate that ran from Thursday into Friday; every opposition party voted against.

Updated Oct 25

Greece deploys world's first national wildfire satellite system

New Capabilities

As of August 2026: Oversees the ministry routing satellite data to fire services

A fire in Greece used to be spotted by a person, a plane, or a foreign satellite that only saw blazes the size of a cruise ship. Now four suitcase-sized satellites watch Greek soil for heat and can flag a fire as small as a parking space, sending the alert to firefighters within minutes.

Updated Aug 8

Notable Quotes

"We do not give platforms any of our children's personal data whatsoever." — Papastergiou, on age verification.

from Greece bans under-15s from social media · Updated Oct 25

"It would have been very easy to do absolutely nothing today and wait for the perfect European law. But the challenge is here. Children are sinking into the internet every day, and I believe a responsible government must do what it is obliged to do." — Papastergiou, in parliament

from Greece bans under-15s from social media · Updated Oct 25