Age Limit and Restriction Schedule Clarified in Social Media Regulation

Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş announced that the regulation banning children under 15 from opening social media accounts and introducing various restrictions for users under 18 will enter into force on November 1.

Effective Date and Transition Period

Following the cabinet meeting, Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş announced that the regulation published in the Official Gazette on October 10 will come into effect as of November 1.

It was stated that a grace period until March 31, 2027, has been granted under transitional provisions to allow platforms to adapt to the system.

Age Verification via e-Government

Users wanting to open a new account will be directed to the e-Government system and will receive a digital code confirming their age after the verification process.

Thanks to the system, identity information will not be sent to the platforms; only the information on whether the age threshold has been met will be shared, and children under the age of 15 will not be able to open accounts.

Restrictions for Ages 15-18

Features such as endless scrolling, screen recording, and broadcasting live will be completely removed for users between the ages of fifteen and eighteen.

Messaging features will be narrowed down, allowing only accounts that children follow to send messages to them, and the read receipt feature will be disabled.

Audit of Existing Accounts

It is mandatory for currently active existing accounts to undergo age verification at least once by March 31, 2027.

Accounts with suspicious ages will be temporarily suspended, and accounts determined to be under the age of 15 will be closed.

Parental Control Mechanisms

In accordance with the provisions of the regulation, social media platforms will enable parents to manage account settings.

Parents will be able to limit screen time, tie paid transactions to their own approval, and control location sharing.