Türkiye Introduces New Social Media Rules to Protect Children and Tighten Platform Control

Türkiye has introduced new social media rules to improve online safety for children and increase platform accountability. Children under 15 will be banned from registering, while platforms must enforce age verification and provide age-appropriate services for older teens. The rules also strengthen parental controls, require faster removal of harmful content in urgent cases, and impose strict penalties on large platforms that fail to comply, including advertising bans and possible bandwidth reductions.

Türkiye has introduced a comprehensive set of new social media regulations designed to strengthen online protection for children and young users, improve platform accountability, and tighten government enforcement over digital content and services operating in the country.
The new framework places significant emphasis on child safety. One of its key provisions is that individuals under the age of 15 will no longer be allowed to register on social media platforms. To enforce this restriction, companies will be required to implement robust and effective age verification systems capable of preventing underage sign-ups. For users aged 15 and above, platforms are also expected to provide differentiated services that are appropriate for their age group, ensuring that content exposure and platform features are adjusted to suit younger audiences.
In addition to age restrictions, the regulations introduce stronger parental control mechanisms. Social media companies must provide tools that allow parents or guardians to manage their children’s accounts more effectively, including the ability to adjust privacy settings and limit screen time. This is intended to give families greater oversight of children’s digital activity and reduce risks associated with excessive or unsafe social media use.
The rules also place greater responsibility on platforms to combat harmful online practices. Companies will be required to take stronger steps against deceptive advertising and misleading content that could negatively impact users. Authorities have emphasized that social media providers must actively reduce exposure to harmful material and improve safeguards against exploitation, manipulation, or online abuse.
A particularly strict provision concerns urgent national security matters. In such cases, large platforms operating in Türkiye will be required to comply with content removal requests within one hour. This rapid-response obligation is intended to ensure that potentially dangerous or destabilizing content is addressed quickly before it spreads widely online.
The regulations impose heavier obligations on major platforms with more than 10 million daily users in Türkiye. These companies will face enhanced oversight and must adopt more advanced compliance systems. One key requirement is the use of artificial intelligence technologies to detect and prevent previously removed illegal content from being re-uploaded, addressing the issue of repeated violations.
Enforcement mechanisms have been structured in a gradual, escalating manner. If platforms fail to comply with the rules, authorities may initially impose bans on new advertising within the country, limiting their ability to generate revenue. If non-compliance continues, regulators may seek court approval to impose bandwidth restrictions, first reducing access by 50 percent. In more severe or persistent cases, this reduction could increase to as much as 90 percent, which would significantly limit the platform’s usability in Türkiye.
The regulations also extend to online gaming platforms, reflecting concerns about child safety in digital entertainment spaces. Games that are not properly age-rated will be prohibited, and stricter oversight will be applied to ensure compliance with youth protection standards. In addition, foreign-based gaming platforms that exceed 100,000 daily users in Türkiye will be required to appoint a legal representative within the country, ensuring that there is a local point of accountability for regulatory and legal matters.
Officials say the overall goal of the new policy is to create a safer, more transparent, and more accountable digital environment. By combining age restrictions, parental controls, content moderation requirements, and strong enforcement tools, the government aims to reduce risks faced by young users while ensuring that global technology companies comply with national laws.
The regulations are scheduled to come into effect six months after their official publication, giving companies a transition period to adjust their systems and policies to meet the new requirements.