Social Media Regulation for Children Takes Effect in November
The social media regulation targeting children under fifteen introduces mandatory age verification and content filtering for platforms.
According to the decision published in the Official Gazette, the social media regulation targeting children under 15 will take effect on November 1. While platforms are required to establish age verification systems, expert and legal evaluations of the application continue.
Scope and Details of the Regulation
The decision, adopted in April by the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), was published in the Official Gazette to take effect on November 1. In this context, social media platforms are held responsible for establishing age verification systems and preventing access to content unsuitable for children's development.
Statements from Ministries and the e-Government Process
Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş stated in her announcement on March 28 that the restriction aims to protect children from harmful content. Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek noted on April 22 that individuals wishing to open a social media account will obtain a verification code via e-Government.
Views of Experts and Legal Professionals
While Prof. Dr. Selman Tunay Kamer from Kastamonu University argued that the regulation is a protective mechanism, legal expert Yaman Akdeniz warned that the application could lead to broad control mechanisms and mission creep in practice.