Turkey’s parliament has approved a bill that blocks children under 15 from accessing social media platforms. The law requires platforms to implement age verification systems, offer parental controls, and respond faster to harmful content, aiming to protect minors online.
The move follows two recent school shootings, after which police detained 162 people accused of sharing footage of the incidents online, according to the Associated Press.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has 15 days to sign the bill into law. He has previously described social networks as ”breeding grounds for filth.”
Turkey’s social media age restriction law and requirements
The restrictions apply not only to social media platforms but also to online gaming services, which must limit access for minors. Platforms violating the rules could face reduced bandwidth or financial penalties.
- Ban on social media use for children under 15
- Mandatory age verification systems
- Parental control features required
- Faster response to harmful content
- Extension of restrictions to online gaming platforms
- Penalties include bandwidth reduction and fines
Tensions with global internet platforms in Turkey
Turkey’s relationship with global internet platforms remains tense. Earlier in 2024, Instagram – owned by Meta – was temporarily blocked amid disputes over content related to Hamas; access was restored after about a week. Roblox was banned during the same period for allegations of inappropriate content for children.
Additionally, Twitter’s rebranded platform X has been blocked multiple times, including after the devastating 2023 earthquakes, though official reasons for those blackouts were not clarified.
International trends in youth social media regulations
Turkey’s move is part of a broader wave of tightening controls on youth access to social media globally. Countries like Greece and Austria have passed similar laws. Australia pioneered this approach by banning social media use for children under 16, and the UK is now considering stricter age restrictions.
* Meta, the owner of Instagram, is labeled an extremist organization and banned in Russia.
Impact on social media safety and verification standards
Compared with global tech giants, Turkey’s strict approach highlights growing concerns worldwide about social media risks to young users’ safety and mental health. While Apple and Google provide parental controls, Turkey’s demand for robust age verification marks a harsher step that could significantly change how platforms verify and protect underage users.
Looking ahead, a key question is how social media companies will balance regulatory compliance with user experience. Will they develop reliable age verification without prompting users to circumvent restrictions? And how will these rules affect social media engagement among Turkey’s youth, especially as similar laws spread globally?