Türkiye tightens social media rules for children under 15
Türkiye is introducing stricter rules on children's access to social media, requiring platforms to prevent users under the age of 15 from accessing their services.
The regulation, published on Saturday, will take effect on November 1 and follows legislation passed by parliament in April to strengthen online protections for minors.
Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas has repeatedly stressed the need to protect children from cyberbullying, online harassment and other potentially harmful content.
According to a 2024 survey by the Turkish Statistical Institute, 91.3 percent of children aged six to 15 used the internet, while 66.1 percent used social media. Under the new rules, platforms must strengthen age verification, prevent underage account creation, provide age-appropriate services for older teenagers, offer parental-control tools and better protect personal data.
Existing accounts will also be subject to age verification, and platforms must complete the process by March 31, 2027.
The rules also extend to online gaming. All games must carry appropriate age ratings, while unrated games may only be offered to adults.
According to CCTV+, the effectiveness of the new framework will depend largely on how reliably platforms can verify users' ages while limiting the collection and storage of sensitive personal information.
