Age Limits and Restrictions for Children in Social Media Usage

With the new regulation prepared by the Presidency of Cybersecurity, a ban on opening accounts has been introduced for children under the age of 15 on social media platforms, and parental control mechanisms have been made mandatory.

New Regulation Published in the Official Gazette

The new regulation prepared by the Presidency of Cybersecurity and published in the Official Gazette aims to increase the safety of children on digital platforms. In this context, various age verification and control obligations have been imposed on social media platforms.

Account Ban for Children Under 15

In accordance with the rules that have entered into force, social media platforms will not be able to provide services to children under the age of 15. Age verification processes will be carried out with documents to be generated via e-Government, and requests from those understood to be minors will be rejected.

Security Measures for Young Users

Social media accounts of children who have reached the age of 15 will be private by default. Live streaming will not be allowed on these accounts, and personalized advertising will be prohibited.

Infinite Scrolling and Messaging Restrictions

In order to reduce the time children spend in front of the screen, presenting content through the infinite scrolling method has been banned. Additionally, children will only be able to receive messages from people they follow, and their follower lists will be hidden.

Control Powers Granted to Parents

Thanks to the new regulation, mothers and fathers will be able to control their children's social media account settings. Parents will be able to limit the time spent on the platform and will have the authority to approve paid transactions.

Effective Dates and Existing Accounts

The regulation will enter into force on November 1, 2026, and social media platforms are required to complete age verification for existing accounts by March 31, 2027.