Yes, ad blockers are legal in Greece, provided they comply with national and EU digital regulations, including the 2026 Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA) guidelines on user consent and fair competition. Their use does not inherently violate Greek law, but publishers may deploy circumvention measures under the 2023 Digital Services Act (DSA) transposition.
Key Regulations for Ad Blockers in Greece
- User Consent & Transparency (HDPA 2026 Guidelines): Ad blockers must not interfere with legally required consent mechanisms under GDPR, as enforced by the HDPA. Users must retain the ability to withdraw consent without obstruction.
- Competition Law (Hellenic Competition Commission - HCC): Blocking ads on platforms with dominant market positions may trigger HCC scrutiny under abuse-of-dominance provisions (Law 3959/2011), particularly for major publishers or ad networks.
- Digital Services Act (DSA) Compliance (2023): Publishers can implement “reasonable measures” to detect and mitigate ad-blocking under Article 27 of the DSA, provided these do not circumvent user rights or restrict access to essential services.
Ad blockers must avoid circumventing technical protection measures (TPMs) under the 2021 EU Copyright Directive (transposed via Law 4879/2022), as unauthorized circumvention may constitute a criminal offense under Article 66.