European Commission

The UK is in talks about considering making the same decision

Greece has announced that it will introduce a brand new rule next year that will impact millions of people. The change comes months after Australia implemented a similar decision in December 2025, and now Greece is urging the European Union to follow suit with its upcoming ‘ban‘.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, that Greece will ban all children under 15 from accessing social media. The measure, which will come into force on January 1, 2027, is designed to protect children’s mental health and will apply irrespective of parental consent.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis cited “unambiguous” evidence that addictive screen time and social media algorithms are contributing to anxiety and sleep deprivation among children. Data from the Greek Safer Internet Centre in Athens shows that 75% of children currently using social media in Greece are of primary-school age.

It comes as the UK government has started a discussion about possibly banning under-16s, and Ireland and Denmark are considering doing the same. Last month, the House of Lords supported a proposal to ban under-16s from using social media platforms in the UK.

In a video posted on TikTok, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: “We have decided to go ahead with a difficult but necessary measure: ban access to social media for children under 15 years old. Greece is among the first countries in the world to adopt such a measure.” The prime minister went on to say he would put pressure on the European Union to follow suit.

The Greek government plans to enforce the ban through its existing ‘Kids Wallet’ application, which is already used to verify ages for alcohol and tobacco purchases. This application will be used to filter and block social media access at the device level.

Unlike approaches that rely on social media platforms to police themselves, Greece is pursuing a ‘source-based’ approach. Parents will be required to activate the Kids Wallet app on all of a child’s devices to block access at the system level. Greek officials hope this state-mandated device-level block will effectively counter circumvention methods, such as VPNs.

Greece joins other nations implementing strict age-based digital restrictions, including Australia, which enforces an under-16 ban, and Indonesia. Following the announcement, Kyriakos Mitsotakis wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, calling for a common EU-wide “Digital Age of Majority” to be set at 15.

While both Greece and Australia share the goal of protecting children’s mental health, their enforcement methods differ significantly. Australia’s existing under-16 ban places the burden on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook to find and remove underage accounts.

Since its launch in December 2025, Australia’s platform-based model has faced challenges. The eSafety Commissioner recently reported “significant concerns” about platforms that allow children to bypass checks or that provide insufficient reporting tools for parents.

Australia’s ban impacts ten major “high-risk” social networks but largely spares educational and messaging services like Google Classroom and WhatsApp. The Greek proposal is part of a broader framework that also restricts minors from online gambling, dating apps, and tobacco and alcohol sales.

Meanwhile, the UK government is actively considering an outright ban on social media for children under 16 through a high-profile national consultation and legislative debate. A three-month government consultation on “digital wellbeing” is currently open, seeking views on restrictions such as overnight curfews and “app caps,” and is scheduled to close May 26, 2026.

In the legislative arena, the House of Lords has twice defeated the government by adding an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that would mandate a social media ban for under-16s. The House of Commons previously rejected this measure in March 2026, with the bill scheduled to return to the Commons on April 15, 2026.

Ryanair is calling on passengers to act

Thousands of Ryanair flights have been cancelled, with the budget carrier continuing its campaign to “keep EU skies open”.

Ryanair has set up a a petition, aimed at the European Commission, to reduce the impact of French Air Traffic Control (ATC) strikes on EU flights. The campaign has now garnered support from more than two million people, with thousands of flights scrapped – and more disrupted – in 2025 alone. In October of last year, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said: “It is inexcusable that Europe’s worst performing ATCs in France, Spain, Germany and the UK continue to inflict avoidable delays and cancellations on millions of EU citizens every month.

“Despite warnings, Europe’s ATC performance is not improving, as national providers fail to properly staff and manage their operations. EU ATC needs reform and its passengers who are paying the price.

“ATC delays have already disrupted 33m citizens so far this year, with France, Spain, Germany and the UK consistently failing to staff and manage their services properly.”

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported last month that Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) delays in Europe have “grown sharply” in recent years, with this “far outpacing traffic growth”. ATFM delays, it said, “have cost airlines and passengers an estimated EUR 17.5 billion since 2015 (in 2025 prices), of which over 70% is linked to capacity shortages and staffing issues”.

The Council of the European Union said last year that “the air traffic control system is increasingly struggling to manage this growing demand”, noting that while “close coordination has been underway for many months between the European Commission and EUROCONTROL as well as ongoing planning between the EUROCONTROL Network Manager, airlines, airports, air navigation service providers and the military … resolving the issue also requires political will at the national level as each country is responsible for providing adequate air traffic services and making the necessary investments to support these services.”

More than 2.5million Brits visited Portugal last year, and it could be even more popular in 2026 due to the Iran conflict

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued updated travel guidance for those heading to Portugal. The update was released today (March 20).

Fresh information has been provided for individuals seeking to remain in Portugal beyond 90 days under exceptional circumstances. The updated guidance states: “If you’re visiting Portugal and need to extend your visa-free stay for exceptional reasons, such as a medical emergency, you must apply to AIMA using their contact form (access is only available to users in Portugal). If you’re in Portugal with a residence permit or long-stay visa, this does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit.”

It adds: “If you’re in Portugal with a residence permit or long-stay visa, this does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit.”

For British passport holders, visas aren’t required for short visits to EU nations or Schengen zone countries provided both conditions are met:

Your combined stay within the Schengen zone must not exceed 90 days within any 180-day period. The number of countries visited is irrelevant. The 180-day timeframe continuously ‘rolls over’, reports the Liverpool Echo.

EES

Since October 2025, the European Union has implemented the Entry/Exit System (EES), requiring travellers to provide fingerprints and photographs upon initial entry to or departure from the Schengen zone. It is scheduled to be fully operational by 10 April. However, the system has been plagued by teething problems, resulting in many travellers waiting for hours at airports. Because the system requires non-EU visitors – including Brits – to register their fingerprints and take a photo in person at the border, the additional registration time is already causing massive queues for non-European passengers at airports across the region.

It has caused such disruption that some locations have temporarily suspended its use. The European Commission has suggested that border authorities may pause the new system for up to six hours during peak travel times until September to help ease congestion.

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Portugal

More and more Brits are booking flights to Portugal as the conflict in the Middle East continues. Destinations like Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, and Dubai are being viewed as increasingly risky, so travellers are opting for safer alternatives like Portugal and Spain.

Bookings to Portugal had increased by 42% over the two weeks to 13 March, according to Thomas Cook – the largest rise in any of the countries they arrange holidays to. It was followed by the Balearic Islands (40 per cent) and the Canary Islands (16 per cent).

TravelSupermarket shared data on online search interest, which it said demonstrates a “clear surge” for European and Atlantic destinations and away from the Middle East.