Social media regulation enters into force on November 1

Prepared by the Presidency's Cybersecurity Directorate, the "Regulation on the Provision of Differentiated Services Tailored to Children by Social Network Providers and Age Verification," which restricts access to social networks for children under 15 and introduces age verification and parental controls, enters into force on November 1.

Domestic and foreign social network providers accessible from Turkey will not be able to provide services to children under the age of 15 starting November 1. For users who have turned 15 but are under 18, differentiated services appropriate to their age and developmental level, containing security and privacy measures, will be provided. Published in the Official Gazette dated October 10, the regulation establishes rules regarding age verification, services to be offered to children, parental control tools, and objection mechanisms.

Within the scope of the regulation, social network providers will be obligated to verify the user's age during account creation using an age verification token obtained via the e-Government Gateway. Existing accounts and application requests to open accounts for children under 15 will be closed or rejected. A transition period until March 31, 2027, is foreseen for accounts opened before the regulation. Additionally, live streaming features and potentially addictive feed designs will be prohibited in children's accounts, and tools allowing parents to track time, spending, and location will be provided to parents.