New social media regulations announced for children's digital safety
With the new regulation published in the Official Gazette, social network providers are banned from offering services to children under 15, and age verification has become mandatory.
Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş announced the details of the new social media regulation aimed at protecting children under 15 in digital environments.
Regulation Published in the Official Gazette
The new regulation prepared to ensure the safety of children on digital platforms has been published in the Official Gazette and is reported to enter into force on November 1.
Bans for Under 15
According to the provisions of the regulation, social network providers will not be able to offer any services to children who have not reached the age of 15, and restrictions will be applied to platform access.
Age Verification via e-Government
For logging into social media platforms, performing age verification through the e-Government system without sharing users' identity information has been made mandatory.
Measures for the 15-18 Age Group
Accounts of children between the ages of fifteen and eighteen will be private, follower information will not be visible, live broadcasting will not be allowed, and measures to prevent screenshots will be implemented.
Addiction and Advertising Restrictions
While limitations are introduced on designs that prolong the time spent on platforms, children's personal data cannot be subject to profiling or personalized commercial advertisements.
Parental Controls and Timeline
While parents will be able to manage account settings, screen time, and location sharing, age verification for existing accounts must be completed by March 31, 2027.