Social Media Regulation for Children Under 15 Published in the Official Gazette
The new regulation governing social media use for children under 15 has been published in the Official Gazette and will enter into force on November 1, 2026.
Aimed at increasing children's online safety, the social media regulation for those under 15 was announced to the public by being published in the Official Gazette dated October 10, 2026. Prepared by the Presidency's Directorate of Cybersecurity, the new regulation will come into effect on November 1, 2026.
Effective Date of the Regulation
The Regulation on the Provision of Child-Specific Segregated Services by Social Network Providers and Age Verification, prepared by the Presidency's Directorate of Cybersecurity, was published in the Official Gazette dated October 10, 2026, and will begin to be implemented on November 1, 2026.
Age Limit for New Accounts
As of the specified date, social network providers will not be able to offer services to children who have not reached the age of 15. The ages of users who wish to create a new account will be verified, and requests from those who do not meet the conditions will be rejected.
Transition Period for Existing Accounts
A transition period until March 31, 2027, has been granted to complete age verification procedures for previously opened accounts. The existing accounts of users found to be under the age of 15 as a result of age verification will be closed.
Verification via e-Government
Age verification procedures will be carried out through an age verification token to be generated via the e-Government Gateway and will be securely audited.
Measures for Those Under 18
For users who have completed the age of 15 but have not reached the age of 18, special social media services where privacy and security measures are applied by default will be offered. Live broadcasts and personalized advertisements will be banned on these accounts.
Parental Control Tools
Within the scope of the new obligations introduced, it has also become mandatory for social network providers to offer parental control tools on their platforms.