Age Limit and e-Government Verification Era Begins on Social Media
The regulation banning individuals under 15 from opening accounts and imposing restrictions on youth creates new obligations for platforms.
Within the scope of the new regulation set to enter into force on November 1, 2026, children under the age of 15 are prohibited from opening social media accounts, while various security and privacy restrictions are introduced for young users aged 15 to 18.
Strict Ban for Under 15s
According to the new regulation, individuals who have not reached the age of 15 will not be able to open accounts on social media sites under any circumstances. Parental consent will not invalidate this rule, and the ban will be implemented without exception and strictly.
Age Verification via e-Government
All users who want to open an account for the first time or verify their existing accounts on social media platforms will be directed to the e-Government system. Without sharing identity information with the platforms, only the age group will be confirmed.
Child-Friendly Version for Young Users
Accounts of users between the ages of fifteen and eighteen will be segregated and transitioned to a child-friendly version. Within this scope, starting live broadcasts will be prevented, and features such as screen recording will be restricted.
Algorithmic and Messaging Restrictions
While addictive algorithmic features such as endless feeds will be restricted, only accounts that users follow will be able to send messages, and the read receipt feature in messages will be turned off.
Blocking Commercial Ads
In this new era aimed at increasing the safety of young users, personalized commercial advertisements and profiling activities will be completely blocked.
Compliance Process and Timeline
While the regulation enters into force on November 1, 2026, social media companies have been granted a temporary compliance period until March 31, 2027, to make their infrastructures compatible.