Beginning on 1 November, Turkey will prevent social media companies from granting access to users younger than 15, following regulations released in the country's Official Gazette. The enforcement mechanism relies on age verification tokens supplied by Turkey's state e-government infrastructure. Any user identified as below the age threshold during registration will face immediate account blocking.
Platforms must conduct a comprehensive audit of their existing user base by 31 March 2027, identifying and terminating all accounts belonging to children under 15.
Restrictive framework for mid-teens
Teenagers between 15 and 17 years old will encounter significantly constrained functionality. Their profiles will operate in private mode with content filtering enabled by default. Personalised advertising and livestreaming capabilities are prohibited, and the platforms must implement technical measures preventing users from capturing screenshots.
Messaging capabilities are limited to pre-existing connections only, and algorithmic feeds designed to encourage continuous engagement must be disabled. Parents receive administrative tools enabling them to configure account settings, establish screen time boundaries and authorise in-app purchases.
The regulatory scope encompasses Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord and Reddit.
Enforcement through financial penalties
Non-compliance carries substantial consequences under Turkey's internet legislation. Violating companies face financial penalties reaching 3% of worldwide revenue, advertising restrictions and reductions to their internet bandwidth allocation. Parliament enacted the legislation in April, one week following a school shooting incident.
Turkey now joins an expanding group of nations implementing age-based social media restrictions. Australia pioneered this approach with its under-16 prohibition, though enforcement has proven challenging in practice.
Source: The Next Web
