Social media ban for under-15s and age verification period begins in Turkey
As of November 1, 2026, it is prohibited for children under the age of 15 to open accounts on social media platforms in Turkey. Under the new regulation, mandatory age verification via e-Devlet has been introduced.
A new regulation prohibiting children under the age of 15 from opening accounts on social media platforms comes into effect in Turkey as of November 1, 2026.
With the regulation published in the Official Gazette, new obligations have been imposed on social media platforms regarding the protection of children. In this context, platforms will not be able to provide services to children under 15 and will reject account opening requests.
Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş stated that new users will be directed to the e-Devlet system to receive a digital code when opening an account. This age verification process, which will be carried out without sharing identity information, will enable platforms to identify child users.
The regulation also provides for an audit mechanism for existing accounts. In the event that there is suspicion that an account is being used by a child under the age of 15, platforms will temporarily suspend the account and request the user to re-verify their age via e-Devlet.