Greece has unveiled a package of digital tools aimed at stopping minors from buying alcohol, tobacco and vaping products, adding a new national example to Europe’s expanding age-assurance agenda. Officials said the initiative combines three platforms: an electronic registry for private events involving minors, a national register for tobacco and alcohol retailers, and a secure age-verification system that can be used in both physical and online sales channels.
Greek officials said businesses hosting events such as school dances or graduation parties will have to declare them through Gov.gr, with the client confirming the filing so inspectors can trace who is responsible for the event. Retailers that sell tobacco or alcohol will also have to register through Gov.gr and will receive a QR-coded certificate showing that they are recorded in the system. The registration database is intended to give inspectors a clearer map of points of sale nationwide and an auditable trail for enforcement activity.
The most direct digital identity component is the age-checking mechanism built on KidsWallet. Sellers will be able to scan a QR code to confirm whether a buyer is old enough to purchase restricted products without disclosing more personal information than necessary. Greek officials said the same mechanism is ready for online use and will also be applied on social media platforms. That keeps the package aligned with the privacy-preserving approach European regulators have been trying to promote.
The rollout fits into a broader European push around privacy-preserving age assurance. Last week the European Commission published an age verification use case manual for the EUDI Wallet, and Greece has already been expanding the role of official digital credentials through upgrades to the Gov.gr Wallet. Elsewhere in the region, governments are moving digital credentials closer to full legal parity with a physical ID card.
The Greek package is notable because it is not limited to a wallet feature or a draft policy. It gives retailers, regulators and online platforms operational tools they can use now, while also showing how QR-based verification and government digital services are being tied to youth-protection rules in everyday commerce.
Sources: eKathimerini, Euronews
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
