Social Media Restriction for Children Under 15 Takes Effect on November 1st
With the new legal regulation including e-Government integration and mandatory age verification, the protection of children from digital risks is targeted.
The legal regulation restricting social media access for children under 15 in Turkey and mandating age verification via e-Government is coming into effect as of November 1.
Legal Regulation and Scope
The social media regulation, adopted in April and published in the Official Gazette, enters into force as of November 1. With the new law, access to platforms by children under 15 is restricted while companies are required to establish an age verification system.
Statements from Ministries
Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş announced that they aim to protect children from digital risks with this regulation, which is the product of approximately 1.5 years of work. Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek stated that a verification code will be obtained via e-Government for account use.
Academic and Legal Opinions
While Prof. Dr. Selman Tunay Kamer emphasized that the practice is a scientific protection mechanism, legal expert Yaman Akdeniz warned that e-Government integration could turn into a broad control mechanism.
Similar Practices Around the World
The age limit implemented by Turkey is also spreading on a global scale. While Australia became the first country to ban use for those under 16, similar regulations are also being debated in the European Parliament, Malaysia, and the UK.