Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis joined Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a United Nations event in New York this week, calling for urgent global action to protect children from the dangers of social media and new digital technologies.
The event, hosted by Australia during the High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly, focused on the risks facing young people online and highlighted Australia’s landmark decision to ban children under 16 from accessing social media from December 10.
Mitsotakis said the world was “running the biggest unchecked experiment with our children’s brains ever” and warned of the dangers posed not only by social media but also by artificial intelligence.
He outlined Greece’s initiatives, including banning mobile phones in schools and launching parco.gov.gr, a government platform offering age verification and parental controls.
“We have a responsibility not just to engage with the tech companies but to make it very clear to them who sets the rules,” Mitsotakis said.
“Tech companies are making enough money. They just don’t need to also make money off the vulnerabilities of our children.”
Albanese praised the strong international interest in Australia’s reforms, saying he was “overwhelmed” by the response in the room. “The truth is that our legislation is where the world is going,” he said.
The event also heard a powerful testimony from Emma Mason, whose 15-year-old daughter Tilly died by suicide after being bullied online. Mason described her daughter’s death as “death by bullying enabled by social media,” drawing a standing ovation.
Albanese lauded her courage, saying: “If I had the power to hand out Orders of Australia, I would have walked up on stage here and given Emma one on the spot … She’s fantastic.”
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen backed Australia’s move, calling it “plain common sense” and noting that many European countries were pushing for similar laws.
Leaders from Malta, Fiji and Tonga also attended, underscoring the growing global momentum to regulate children’s access to social media.
