The Greek government on Monday launched "Kids Wallet," a state-operated mobile application that allows parents to monitor their children's screen time and verify their age on digital platforms and social networks.

"We are giving parents a powerful tool to protect their children online," said Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou, presenting the new digital instrument in Athens.

"This is an application that Greece — and Europe — needs to confirm children's ages when they use social media," Papastergiou added. "It will also serve as an identification tool for upcoming initiatives."

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his support for the initiative as well as his concern about the impact of technology on family life. "You see families in restaurants where parents and children are all on their phones, and you wonder when they actually talk to each other," he said.

The age from which parental consent is no longer required has been set at 15, and the use of the application is voluntary.

While similar software tools for limiting time online have been commercially available for decades, it is still unusual to see governments stepping in to provide digital solutions of their own. In November, the Australian parliament passed legislation restricting access to social media for children and teenagers, allowing it only for those aged 16 or older. 

How does 'Kids Wallet' work?

The app is integrated with the government services platform, already widely used to pay taxes and navigate bureaucracy, and works with existing digital identification systems for adults.

After downloading Kids Wallet on the child's phone, parents can create a parent-child account using their online tax identification credentials.

After signing in, they choose which apps and websites their child can access, as well as how much time they should be allowed to spend on them each day.

Then, the child's age is confirmed by uploading the necessary documents, which parents obtain through their account on the official state services platform, In this way, the parent creates a "digital identity" for the minor.

Over half of children between 9 and 12 use social media every day

The app does not allow parents to read their children's messages. However, they can establish certain restrictions and obtain more general information about internet use, such as the daily time of the minor's online activity.

Officials have invited major digital companies to help the rollout of the app.

"Dear platforms, we ask for your cooperation so that together we can protect children at a vulnerable age," Minister Papastergiou said.

A 2024 survey by Greek research organization KMOP found that 76.6% of children aged 9 to 12 have access to the internet through personal devices, 58.6% use social media daily, and 22.8% have encountered inappropriate content.

The launch of the app is part of a broader set of government measures aimed at curbing youth crime in the country and aligns with EU plans to strengthen online protection for minors.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic