Age Limit and Risk of Account Closure on the Agenda with Social Media Regulation

The new social media regulation, scheduled to take effect on November 1, 2026, introduces age verification and child protection obligations for platforms. According to the regulation, children under the age of 15 are planned not to receive social media services, and a verification process is being initiated for existing accounts.

With the regulation stated to take effect on November 1, social media platforms are being subjected to age verification and child protection obligations. While users wishing to open new accounts are planned to undergo age checks, age verification procedures for existing accounts must be completed by March 31, 2027, at the latest. The closure of accounts belonging to users determined to be under the age of 15 will be on the agenda.

According to the statement by Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, users wishing to open a social media account for the first time will be directed to the e-Government system for age verification. For users in the 15-18 age group, protective measures such as privacy, hiding follower lists, live broadcast restrictions, and blocking screenshots are envisaged. Authorities warn users against fraudulent messages from scammers who view the age verification process as an opportunity.