The focus of the public debate was on protecting children in the digital world through the discussion entitled “Growing up responsibly and safely in a connected world”, which took place in the context of the 11th Delphi Economic Forum 2026.
The panel was attended by the Minister of State, responsible for the coordination of government work, Akis Skertsos, the Minister of Digital Governance Dimitris Papastergiou, the Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Sophia Zacharaki, the President and CEO of Vodafone Greece Achilleas Kanaris and Jeffrey DeMarco, Senior Advisor to Save the Children for the protection of children from digital risks.
Jeffrey DeMarco kicked things off by presenting the key findings of the Youth Digital Wellbeing and Resilience Index 2025 survey, conducted on behalf of the Vodafone Foundation and Save the Children. The survey is based on data from 7,755 young people aged 13-18 in nine European countries, including Greece. The discussion focused on the need to balance children’s digital participation with their protection through a combination of regulation, education and technology solutions.
Akis Skertosos, Minister of State, responsible for coordinating the government’s work, said, among other things, that the measures being promoted specifically target platforms that “use algorithms that can create addictive behavioural patterns”, noting that “technology companies have been slow to set the necessary limits”. At the same time, he warned that “we cannot risk the mental health of children”, comparing the need for regulation to safety measures in motoring, which were introduced late, and noted that the aim is to have a harmonised European framework in place by 2027.
For his part, the Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou, pointed out that “mostly companies were late”, referring to the insufficient response of platforms to the age check. He said that the Greek side proceeded to develop the Kids Wallet tool, explaining that it “does not give any personal data” and simply allows the confirmation of whether the user is over or under 15 years old. He stressed that from the beginning of 2027 platforms will be obliged to implement age verification mechanisms, underlining the need for European coordination.
The Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Sofia Zacharaki, stressed that in education there is not one or the other, but both,” combining constraints and education. She said that the ban on the use of mobile phones in schools is already being implemented and reinforced, while cooperation with parents and teachers is required, as “nothing can succeed unless we all agree with each other.” He announced the launch of the “Connected Parents” programme to inform some 50,000 parents, noting that “explanation and documentation to children have a dominant role”, and stressed the importance of education on digital security and personal data management
The President and CEO of Vodafone Greece, Achilleas Kanaris, stressed that “as a company that is shaping the digital infrastructure of the future, we believe that we also have a responsibility to contribute to the creation of a safe and supportive digital environment for younger users”, giving as an example the integrated ecosystem of products and services designed by Vodafone to enhance the digital well-being of children and parents. Furthermore, he underlined that responsible digital literacy is a collective responsibility: “the state sets the framework, companies create the tools and parents lead. The goal is not to leave the young generation out of the digital world, but to be able to navigate it safely and confidently.”
The discussion, moderated by journalist Adriana Paraskevopoulou, demonstrated the need for a holistic approach to creating a safe digital environment for children and young people, with the cooperation of all stakeholders emerging as a crucial factor.
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