The House Legal Affairs Committee has opened debate on a legislative proposal by MP Dimitris Dimitriou to raise the minimum age for using social media in Cyprus from 14 to 16, citing concerns over children’s mental health, online safety, and digital addiction.

During the committee’s first discussion, several MPs expressed support for the initiative, calling it a constructive move to protect minors online. Committee chair Nikos Tornaritis said the aim was not to “victimize” children but to “protect them.” Green Party MP Charalambos Theopemptou and AKEL MP Andreas Pasiourtidis also backed the proposal, emphasizing that increasing the age limit should not be seen as an outright ban but as part of a broader safety framework.

Dimitriou argued that the current 14-year limit “exists only on paper,” as no real mechanism prevents minors of any age from creating social media accounts. He said that while the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) allows member states to set the age of consent for digital services between 13 and 16, Cyprus should align with the upper limit “to safeguard children in an increasingly dangerous digital world.”

The proposed law seeks to amend Cyprus’s data protection legislation to reflect the higher age threshold for accessing “information society services,” including social media platforms. Dimitriou highlighted that major tech firms like Meta had agreed in principle to stricter age policies but have shown “no intention” of enforcing them.

He cited Greece and Australia as examples leading the way in regulating minors’ social media access. Greece is preparing to launch two digital verification tools — the “parco.gov.gr” platform, linked to the national digital registry to verify parental consent when a child first receives a mobile phone, and the “Kids Wallet” app, designed to restrict underage access to social networks. Dimitriou said he plans to meet Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Nikodimos Damianou to explore adopting the Greek model in Cyprus through direct cooperation or licensing.

However, the proposal has also met with skepticism from state officials and regulators. Justice Ministry representative Stavros Christophi acknowledged the “logic and intent” behind the law but warned that without effective verification systems, it could encourage minors to falsify their age — potentially even creating legal issues.

Newly appointed Commissioner for Personal Data Protection, Maria Manoli-Christofidou, expressed reservations about the measure’s necessity and compatibility with EU norms. She argued that the current age of 14 is “balanced and consistent” with Cyprus’s criminal and educational frameworks and aligns with the European average. Raising it to 16, she warned, could make Cyprus an outlier, cause harmonization problems with international platforms, and create inequalities among children.

Manoli-Christofidou also stressed that the focus should shift toward strengthening digital literacy and education, not blanket restrictions. “The European trend is not to raise the age limit, but to improve verification mechanisms and teach safe online behavior,” she said.

Dimitriou countered that 11 EU member states already apply a 16-year threshold and insisted that Cyprus must take “the minimum necessary step” to protect minors from the dangers of online exposure, exploitation, and misinformation. “Digital addiction is the most normalized and accessible form of dependency,” he warned. “We owe it to the next generation to set some limits.”

The debate will continue in the coming weeks, with lawmakers expected to consult with the Deputy Ministry of Innovation on the technical feasibility of age verification and parental control systems before deciding whether to move the bill forward.