Türkiye has published regulations that will bar social media platforms from serving children under the age of 15, with the rules set to take effect on November 1, 2026.
The regulations, prepared by the country's Cyber Security Directorate, appeared in the Official Gazette on Saturday, October 10. The Official Gazette is where Turkish laws and regulations are formally published before they enter into force.
Under the new framework, platforms must reject registration requests from children younger than 15, and accounts found to belong to users below that age will be closed. Social media companies have until March 31, 2027, to complete age verification for existing accounts.
Verification through e-Devlet
Age checks will run through e-Devlet, the government's online services portal used by Turkish citizens for everything from tax records to court documents. Users will generate a digital token on e-Devlet and upload it to the platform they want to use.
According to the published details, the token only confirms whether the user has passed the 15 and 18 age thresholds. It does not carry the person's name or other identifying information, a point officials have stressed in response to privacy concerns.
Restrictions for older teenagers
The rules also introduce a separate set of restrictions for users aged 15 to 17. Their accounts must remain private, with no option to switch them to public. They will not be allowed to livestream, and platforms may not show them personalised advertising.
Infinite-scrolling feeds, a design feature critics link to compulsive use, will be banned for this age group. Teenagers in this bracket will only be able to receive messages from accounts they follow, and their lists of followers and accounts followed will be hidden from other users.
Platforms will additionally have to give parents tools to manage account settings, monitor and limit screen time, and approve purchases or other paid transactions.
The published reports did not name specific platforms or detail penalties for non-compliance.
Türkiye joins a growing number of countries moving to restrict children's access to social media. Australia introduced a ban for under-16s in late 2025, and several European governments have debated similar steps. In Türkiye, officials have framed the measures as part of a broader effort to protect children from online harms and digital addiction.
Sources
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