Greece might be about to lead the way when it comes to protecting children from gambling in Europe. The country is ready to implement a new initiative aiming to automatically block minors from accessing gambling, social media, and tobacco retail sites.
As reported by local media, the Greek government intends to utilize a Kids Wallet mobile application. The app would verify a users’ age and then filter content directly on their device to prevent them accessing websites seen as harmful if they are under the age of 15.
up until now, the apps usage has been voluntary
The app launched in May. Parents must create an account using their online tax information. Then they confirm their own child’s age using official documents. Once that information is logged, they can set usage permissions and daily limits. However, up until now, the apps usage has been voluntary.
The government has been in discussions with Google to ensure the system is capable, while European Commission members will meet in Athens this week to go through the plan. Commenting on the social media element of the plan, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the Commission, said many “believe the time has come for a ‘digital majority age’ for access to social media.”
Greece may be the guinea pig, intending to introduce the system as early as next month, but other countries including France, Spain, Denmark, and Italy are hoping to implement age restrictions too. Everyone above the legal age to gamble, who is not self-excluded, will be able to continue using online gambling sites as usual.
The discussion around automatic age restrictions for certain websites is spreading across the globe. Australia will introduce limits for social media and online dating platforms for under 16s from October 10.
