Children, Social Media and the Law: What Parents Need to Know in 2026

A child does not simply "go online". They talk in apps, upload photos, watch videos, play games with chat, follow content creators, join groups, send private messages and often leave behind data they do not even understand. For parents, this creates a difficult mix: technical uncertainty, anxiety, legal uncertainty and daily conflict at home.

In 2026 the issue is not only "should I ban it or not". There are rules on personal data, age-based consent, protection of minors on platforms, advertising, illegal content, cyberbullying, the child’s image, school groups, parental responsibility and evidence when something goes wrong. There is also a European and Greek discussion about parental-control and age-verification tools, including information initiatives such as Parco. These help parents organize everyday protection, but they do not by themselves mean that every announcement is already an active law.

The practical goal is simpler: know what you check, what you keep, when you speak to the school or the platform, when a lawyer is needed and when an incident may become a serious case.

The basics: there is not just one "social media law"

Social media touch many different legal fields. If the child opens an account, personal data and terms of use arise. If someone uploads a photo of the child without permission, the child’s image, privacy and possibly personality rights are involved. If an insulting video circulates, there may be a civil claim, a criminal dimension or a school/disciplinary issue. If a platform shows ads or recommends content to minors, the European framework for digital services comes into play.

That is why, when a parent says "I want to do something legally", the first correct question is: what exactly happened?

The general answer "it is illegal" does not help. The correct analysis starts with the facts, the child’s age, the relationship between those involved, the medium used and the harm.

Age and consent: what the 15-year threshold means in practice

Under the General Data Protection Regulation, a child may, under conditions, give valid consent for information society services once they have reached a specific age. Greece, through Law 4624/2019, has set the threshold at 15 years for direct consent by a child to such services. Below that threshold, processing based on consent requires consent or approval from the person exercising parental responsibility.

This does not mean that every child under 15 is "forbidden to touch a phone". It means that when a platform relies on consent to process a child’s personal data, that consent must be legally sustainable. In practice, however, platforms also have their own age terms, often setting minimum use limits. Parents must check both: the law and the app’s terms.

Consent also does not mean "I signed once and we are done". Children change habits, apps change functions, privacy settings move and new services connect to old accounts. An account opened just to watch videos may later have a public profile, comments, private messages and live capability.

What changes with the DSA and platform responsibility

The Digital Services Act, known as the DSA, places clearer obligations on online platforms. For minors, the basic idea is that platforms must take appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and protection. This especially concerns platforms accessible to minors.

For very large online platforms and search engines there are even heavier obligations to assess and reduce systemic risks. In practice, this means that it is not enough for a company to say "we added a report button". It must consider how design, content recommendations, ads, messages, dark patterns and ease of account creation truly affect children.

For a parent, the DSA has practical value because it strengthens the idea that the platform is not a mere spectator. If illegal or harmful content exists, the parent should use the reporting tools, keep any reference number provided and insist on a documented request. The platform may not solve every family or school problem, but it has procedural and protection obligations.

Greece, Kids Wallet and parental control: what to watch in 2026

In Greece there has been an intense public discussion about protecting minors online, parental-control tools, Kids Wallet-type applications and age-assurance mechanisms. This matters because it shows the direction of the state: less informal use by minors without supervision and more ability for parents to set limits.

Caution is needed, however. The legal framework in force is one thing; a policy initiative still in progress or a technical tool that will be developed gradually is another. Parents should not wait for the "perfect app" to protect their child. From today they need rules at home, review of settings, conversation with the child and a clear procedure when an incident occurs.

In practice, a parental-control tool helps with three things: time of use, access to apps and basic supervision. It does not replace trust, it does not replace education and it does not replace the need to keep evidence when harm occurs.

Photos of children: the difficult issue parents underestimate

Many conflicts do not start from the child’s TikTok. They start from the adults themselves. Parents, relatives, school groups, sports clubs and tutoring centers upload photos of children without thinking where the image may end up. A photo in a school-event uniform may seem harmless, but it reveals school, area, face, friends and habits.

A parent should distinguish three cases:

Not every photo needs to become an extrajudicial notice. But there must be awareness that the child is not adult "content". As the child grows, their own view should also be heard. A child may not react today, but at 14 or 16 may feel they were exposed for years without reason.

Cyberbullying: what a parent can do without making the case worse

Online bullying rarely appears with a clear label. It may be group mockery in a chat, a fake profile, an edited photo, a threat, disclosure of a secret, a school video, systematic tagging or exclusion from groups. Sometimes the child is ashamed and speaks late. Other times the child answers impulsively and the problem becomes a chain.

The first rule is not to delete everything in a hurry. It is natural to want the phone to be "cleaned" immediately. But if messages, links, usernames and times are lost, evidence later becomes difficult. Keep clear screenshots, URLs where available, date/time, profile name, possible name changes and platform reference numbers.

The second rule is that parents should not start a public confrontation. An aggressive adult comment under a minor’s post may turn against you and expose the child further. Move in order: evidence, platform report, communication with the school where relevant, specialist advice if there is a threat or serious infringement.

If the child made the mistake

Parents often ask for guidance only when their child is the victim. But there is also the other side: the child may have uploaded an offensive video, joined group ridicule, sent a personal photo of another child, used a fake profile or spread a rumor.

In this case, the correct response is not "they are a child, nothing happened". Quick acknowledgment and restoration can limit the harm. Take the content down, stop the spread, ask that it not continue to be reproduced, speak calmly with the school or other parents and see whether legal advice is needed. If there is an image, threat, sexual content, blackmail or serious harm, do not handle it alone.

The point is not to "punish" the child communicatively. It is to help the child understand that the screen does not cancel responsibility and that a digital act leaves traces.

A practical family rule: what we agree before the problem happens

The best legal move is often prevention. A child who knows what to do when threatened acts better than a child afraid that the phone will be taken away and therefore hides everything.

A practical family agreement can have a few clear rules:

The most important thing is the parent’s promise: "If you tell me something serious, I will not start with punishment. I will start with protection." This makes the child more likely to speak early.

When a lawyer or authorities are needed

A lawyer is not needed for every bad comment. A serious response is needed, however, when there is repeated harassment, threat, blackmail, sexual content, leakage of personal data, financial fraud, a fake profile causing harm or refusal to remove seriously harmful content.

In such cases, the order matters:

1. Keep evidence without editing it.
2. Do not publicly threaten the other parent or child.
3. Report to the platform and keep the reference number.
4. Inform the school if it concerns students or the school environment.
5. Speak with a lawyer when there is serious infringement, repetition or harm.
6. Contact competent authorities when there is a threat, blackmail, illegal material, fraud or danger to the child.

Calm does not mean inaction. It means that you do not make moves that spoil evidence or create new problems.

Checklist for parents

If checking happens only after a crisis, the child will connect it with punishment. If it happens steadily and calmly, it becomes part of digital hygiene.

Frequently asked questions

Can I demand that a photo of my child be taken down?

In many cases yes, especially when the photo exposes the child, was posted without a lawful basis or affects the child’s privacy. Start with a removal request to the platform and to the user who uploaded the image. Keep proof before the post is deleted or changed.

If the child is 15, do they decide everything alone?

No. The 15-year threshold specifically concerns consent for information society services in the personal-data context. It does not abolish parental responsibility, nor does it mean that every social-media act is automatically lawful or safe.

Can I monitor all my child’s messages?

Parental control must be proportionate and connected to protection, not permanent surveillance. Setting age filters and limits is one thing; systematically reading every private conversation without reason is another. Age, maturity, risk and the relationship of trust matter.

The school uploaded photos. What should I do?

Ask to see the information/consent policy and request removal if you disagree or if the photo exposes the child. It is preferable for communication to be written and calm, so there is a clear record.

If my child is experiencing cyberbullying, should I go straight to the police?

It depends on the seriousness. If there is a threat, blackmail, sexual content, risk of self-harm, illegal material or intense repetition, do not limit yourself to school discussions. In milder cases, start with evidence, the platform, the school and specialist advice.

Useful sources

• EUR-Lex, Regulation (EU) 2016/679, GDPR: General Data Protection Regulation
• EUR-Lex, Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, Digital Services Act: Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 - DSA
• Hellenic Data Protection Authority: HDPA - personal data
• European Commission, Digital Services Act: European Commission - Digital Services Act
• European Data Protection Board, material on children/age assurance: European Data Protection Board
• Greek parental-control/information portal Parco: Parco - Greek parental-control portal