Age verification era on social media begins on November 1st

The new regulation, which mandates social network providers to offer differentiated services for children and perform age verification, is being implemented as of November 1st. Through the system to be carried out via the e-Government infrastructure, account creation for those under 15 will be blocked, while specific restrictions are introduced for the 15-17 age group.

Under the new regulation, age verification will become mandatory for all new accounts opened from November 1st. Individuals under the age of 15 will not be permitted to create accounts on social media platforms. For users who already have accounts, a transition period has been set until March 31, 2027. Accounts that do not complete verification via e-Government by this date or are identified as belonging to individuals under 15 will be closed.

The age verification process will be conducted through e-Government integration via the Cyber Security Presidency infrastructure. Users will perform identity verification to generate an 'age verification token.' This system will only inform platforms of the user's age group (under 15, 15-17, or 18+); personal data such as name, Turkish ID number, or date of birth will not be shared with social networks.

For users in the 15-17 age group, a 'differentiated service model specific to children' will be applied. In this context, accounts will be kept private by default, live streaming will be blocked, and follower lists will be hidden. Furthermore, the 'infinite scroll' feature will be disabled, and personalized advertising will not be displayed. Platforms will be obligated to provide control tools that allow parents to monitor usage time and set spending limits.

The Center for Combating Disinformation has warned users against scammers taking advantage of the regulation. It was reminded that fake messages such as 'your account will be closed' should not be trusted and that verification procedures must only be performed through the official e-Government platform. Users have the right to appeal free of charge for closed or restricted accounts.