Turkey has introduced new regulations prohibiting social media platforms from providing services to children under the age of 15. The rules were published in the country’s Official Gazette and aim to strengthen online safety for minors.
The regulations were issued by the Cyber Security Directorate. They require social media companies to prevent children below the age limit from accessing their services.
Under the new rules, platforms must also introduce age-appropriate services for users aged 15 and above. These services should consider the physical, mental, psychological, social, and emotional development of young people.
The measures place greater responsibility on social media companies to protect younger users. They also establish requirements for age verification, transparency, and parental supervision.
Turkey Introduces Mandatory Age Verification
Social media platforms operating in Turkey will be required to introduce age verification systems. These systems must determine whether users meet the minimum age requirement while protecting their personal information.
The regulations state that age verification should not require platforms to establish a user’s identity. Instead, the process should focus on confirming whether someone meets the required age threshold.
This approach aims to balance child protection with personal privacy. It also requires companies to avoid collecting unnecessary identifying information during age checks.
Platforms must ensure their age verification methods are reliable and transparent. Their algorithms and child protection policies must also be open to review.
Users, parents, and the Cyber Security Directorate must be able to examine these systems. The requirements are intended to improve accountability and ensure that platforms follow the new rules.
New Parental Control Requirements
The regulations also require social media companies to provide clear and easy-to-use parental control tools. These features will help parents manage their children’s online activities.
Parental controls can support families in supervising children’s access to digital platforms. They are also intended to give parents greater control over how minors use social media services.
The new requirements make parental supervision an important part of the country’s approach to online child safety. Platforms must ensure that these tools are accessible and straightforward to use.
Focus on Children’s Online Safety
The new regulations aim to make digital platforms safer for children and teenagers. They require companies to consider young users’ developmental needs when designing and providing services.
For users aged 15 and older, platforms must introduce safeguards suited to their age group. These measures should take their well-being and development into account.
The rules follow legislation on social media passed by Turkey’s parliament in April 2026. The latest regulations establish additional requirements for companies providing social media services in the country.
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Through these measures, Turkey is seeking to strengthen protections for minors in online spaces. Social media companies will need to ensure their services, verification systems, and parental controls comply with the new requirements.
