Losing your kids to doom scrolling? Greece is building a government app for that

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Category: Education/Family

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. governance / ˈgʌv ər nəns / (n.) – the way in which a city, business, organization, etc., is controlled by its leaders
    Example:

    Good governance can prevent problems like corruption and poor service.


  2. algorithm / ˈæl gəˌrɪð əm / (n.) – a series of rules, guidelines, or procedures that a computer follows to solve a problem or complete a task
    Example:

    The IT company developed a new algorithm that would increase users’ data privacy.


  3. authentication / ɔˌθɛn tɪˈkeɪ ʃən / (n.) – the process of establishing that something is real or true
    Example:

    The staff can’t log in to the system without proper authentication.


  4. bypass / ˈbaɪˌpæs / (v.) – to avoid or ignore a rule, system, or someone in an official position, especially to get something done more quickly
    Example:

    She is bypassing the normal procedures by using an unauthorized shortcut.


  5. accountable / əˈkaʊn tə bəl / (adj.) – being responsible for decisions, actions, or results, especially when explaining them to others
    Example:

    The new law aims to make companies more accountable for protecting the environment.


Article

Read the text below.

Greece announced plans to enhance parental oversight of mobile devices in 2025 through a government-operated app, that will help get digital age verification and browsing controls.


Dimitris Papastergiou, the minister of Digital Governance, said the Kids Wallet app, due to launch in March, is aimed at safeguarding children under the age of 15 from the risks of excessive and inappropriate internet use.


The app will be run by a widely used government services platform and operate in conjunction with an existing smartphone app for adults to carry digital identification documents.


“It’s a big change,” Papastergiou told reporters, adding that the app would integrate advanced algorithms to monitor usage and apply strict authentication processes. “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,” he said.


A survey published in December 2024 by a Greek research organization KMOP found that 76.6% of children aged 9-12 have access to the internet via personal devices, 58.6% use social media daily, and 22.8% have encountered inappropriate content.


Many lack awareness of basic safety tools, such as the block and report buttons, authors of the study said.


Papastergiou said the government was hoping to have the children’s app pre-installed on smartphones sold in Greece by the end of 2025.


While facing criticism from some digital rights and religious groups, government-controlled apps and online services—many introduced during the pandemic—are generally popular in Greece, as they are seen as a way of bypassing historically slow bureaucratic procedures.


The planned online child protection measures would go further than regulations already in place in several European countries by introducing more direct government involvement.


They will also help hold social media platforms more accountable for enforcing age controls, Papastergiou said.


“When you have an (online) age check, you might have a 14-year-old claiming they are 18. Or you could have someone who actually is a genuine 20-year-old … Now we can address that,” he said.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • According to a Greek research organization, 76.6% of children aged 9-12 have access to the internet via personal devices and 58.6% use social media daily. What is your opinion about these findings? What do you think are the benefits and downsides of children using social media daily? Discuss.
  • The planned online child protection measures will help hold social media platforms more accountable for enforcing age controls. Why do you think many social media platforms do not have strong age controls? Do you think age control functions can successfully protect young children from using social media? Why do you say so? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • In Greece, government-controlled applications can speed up slow bureaucratic procedures. In your country, do the government offices use certain apps to speed up services (ex. apps for making government office appointments, apps for transferring support money)? Do you think such apps are necessary? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Some groups are critical of government-controlled apps. Why do you think these groups criticize such apps (ex. because of privacy concerns, no personal freedom)? Do you think privacy is more important than parents having control of their children’s internet use? Why do you say so? Discuss.