New Regulation on Children's Social Media Use Takes Effect
With the new regulation published in the Official Gazette, social media services cannot be provided to children under the age of 15, and various security rules will be introduced for platforms.
The new regulation, which aims to increase children's safety on digital platforms and stipulates that social media services cannot be provided to children under the age of 15, has been published in the Official Gazette. Set to take effect on November 1, 2026, the regulation introduces numerous obligations such as age verification and parental control.
Publication of the Regulation in the Official Gazette
The new regulation, aiming to increase children's safety in digital environments, was announced to the public by being published in the Official Gazette dated October 10, 2026, and numbered 33396. The effective date of this comprehensive regulation, prepared by the Presidency of Cybersecurity, has been set as November 1, 2026.
Service Restriction for Children Under 15
Among the most striking articles of the regulation is that social media services cannot be provided in any way to children who have not turned 15. This step was taken to protect children from the negative effects of digital platforms at an early age.
Regulations for the 15-18 Age Group
The regulation also covers children between the ages of 15 and 18, envisaging the implementation of various security and privacy rules for this group. The accounts of children in this age group will be kept private by default.
For these users, there will be no infinite scrolling feature or permission to broadcast live, and personalized advertisements will not be shown to them.
Technical Measures and Privacy Taken
Measures will be implemented by platforms to prevent taking screenshots on children's accounts. In addition, messaging features will not include "seen" status information, and users' follower lists will be completely hidden.
Secure Age Verification Process
The age control to be applied will be carried out via a token generated through e-Government where identity numbers are not shared. Against the decisions to be taken, users will have the right to appeal free of charge and in Turkish, including human review.
Compliance Period for Existing Accounts
The new rules introduced have been expanded to cover currently active accounts as well. The deadline granted for digital platforms to complete age verification procedures and compliance efforts has been set as March 31, 2027.