Age Limit and Mandatory Verification Introduced for Social Media Use
A new regulation restricting children's use of social media has been published in the Official Gazette.
A new regulation aiming to restrict children's use of social media in Turkey and introduce a mandatory age verification requirement has been published in the Official Gazette.
Publication of the Regulation in the Official Gazette
The long-discussed regulation imposing an age limit on social media use was published in the Official Gazette on October 10, 2026, and will enter into force on November 1, 2026.
Age Verification and Age Limits
Age verification through the e-Government Gateway has become mandatory to create an account on social media, and existing users will be required to complete this verification by March 31, 2027.
Restrictions on Child Users
Pursuant to Article 5 of the regulation, social network providers will not be able to offer services to children under the age of 15, and elements causing screen addiction will be blocked for users under 18.
Penalties to be Applied to Companies
It is envisaged that gradual penal sanctions such as administrative fines, advertising bans, and bandwidth throttling will be applied to companies that fail to comply with the introduced rules.