In an effort to curb excessive internet use among young people, Greece announced plans to launch a government-operated app designed to enhance parental oversight of mobile devices in 2025.
Why It Matters
The app comes after a recent survey conducted by KMOP, a prominent Greek research organization, highlighted the urgency of such measures.
The study revealed that 76.6 percent of children aged 9-12 regularly access the internet via personal devices with 58.6 percent engaging with social media daily. Alarmingly, 22.8 percent of these young users have encountered inappropriate content, yet many remain unaware of basic safety features like blocking or reporting harmful interactions.
What To Know
Dimitris Papastergiou, Greece’s minister of digital governance, said the Kids Wallet app, due to launch in March, aims to safeguard children under the age of 15 from the risks of excessive and inappropriate internet use.
The app will operate via a widely adopted government services platform and integrate seamlessly with an existing smartphone app used by adults to carry digital identification documents.
Papastergiou said the app’s dual functionality will integrate advanced algorithms to monitor usage and apply strict authentication processes.
According to Papastergiou, the app will also help hold social media platforms more accountable for enforcing age controls.
These online child protection measures would go further than regulations already in place in several European countries by introducing more direct government involvement.
However, critics have voiced concerns over privacy and the potential overreach of government-monitored tools.
What People Are Saying
Papastergiou told reporters: “It’s a big change. The Kids Wallet application will do two main things: It will make parental control much easier, and it will be our official national tool for verifying the age of users.”
Meanwhile, in the U.S. parenting coach Liat Hughes Joshi previously told Newsweek that internet access could be beneficial for young people when used properly.
She said: “We need to be having more nuanced conversations, not just about quantity of tech use but quality. Educational activities such as learning to code or picking up a foreign language for example, or playing chess online. Carefully used, the internet can also be a place to find emotional support and advice if they’re experiencing a difficult situation, such as being bullied.”
Former teacher Mike Bonitatibus previously told Newsweek about the concerns he saw between children raised with unfiltered internet access from birth and those whose screen time was carefully moderated by their parents.
“In my observation, children who grow up with moderated internet access tend to develop stronger social skills, better discipline, and the ability to remain focused on tasks. In contrast, those raised with unrestricted access to devices often find social interactions difficult and may exhibit more defiance and disrespect. It was concerning to see previously respectful students conforming to a culture of disengagement and disrespect toward authority figures,” Bonitatibus said.
What Happens Next
Papastergiou said the government was hoping to have the children’s app pre-installed on smartphones sold in Greece by the end of 2025.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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