Gradual Formula and Postponement Request for Social Media Regulation
EDAM called for a gradual model based on age groups and a postponement instead of a uniform restriction on social media for children under 15 aimed at protecting them.
Publishing a report ahead of the social media restriction for children under 15 aimed at protecting them from online risks, the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies warned that strict measures could create unregulated areas, urging the implementation to be postponed and a gradual system to be established.
Details of the Report Prepared by EDAM
The Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies published a comprehensive report examining international examples ahead of the regulation aimed at protecting children from online risks. While the necessity of public intervention was emphasized in the report, a warning was issued that uniform and strict restrictions could drive children toward unregulated digital spaces.
Postponement and Additional Time Request for Implementation Date
The proportion of those wanting the regulation to start on November 1, as planned, was measured at 45 percent. Meanwhile, 53 percent of participants expressed the opinion that postponement or additional time should be granted for the implementation. Of this group, 29 percent requested that additional time be granted, while 18 percent demanded a postponement until infrastructure issues are resolved.
The Importance of the Role of Parents in the Decision-Making Process
In the study, the percentage of those who think that the decision regarding social media use for a 13-year-old child should belong to the parents was 65 percent. Meanwhile, 19 percent advocated that the decision should be made by families within the boundaries drawn by the law, meaning that 84 percent of participants supported the role of the family.
Privacy Concerns Experienced During the Identity Verification Process
The rate of those stating they are concerned about the matching of official identity information with social media accounts reached 67 percent. The percentage of those stating they do not trust the approval mechanisms to be presented to platforms was recorded as 69 percent.
Gradual Social Media Model According to Age Groups
EDAM Research Director Sinan Ülgen emphasized that digital risks differ according to age groups. Stating that the threats an eight-year-old child might face are not the same as those a 15-year-old child might encounter, Ülgen expressed that education-focused platforms and high-risk channels should be separated.
Alternative Identity Verification and Sectoral Impact Assessment
Sinan Ülgen stated that the single verification channel should not be e-Government, and that remote identity verification models in the banking sector could be examined. A call was made to calculate the impact of the restrictions on sectors such as e-commerce and tourism, and to give society time for solutions that will protect privacy.