In a parliamentary vote on Wednesday (22 April), Turkish lawmakers approved legislation designed to protect minors from harmful online content. Passed after lengthy deliberations, the measure includes an outright ban on social media use by children under 15.
The bill requires social media platforms to verify users’ ages, strengthen parental oversight controls, and remove any material deemed potentially harmful to children.
The legislation must still receive final approval from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which is expected within the next two weeks. Once signed into law, the new regulations are set to come into force within six months.
Under the new regulatory framework, platforms will be responsible for ensuring that users under the age of 15 cannot create accounts.
They must also introduce enhanced parental controls, including tools to manage account settings, limit screen time, and restrict in-app purchases (i.e. transactions made via mobile applications).
In addition, platforms will be required to remove advertising that targets children if it is considered deceptive or harmful.
If ordered, companies must remove objectionable content immediately or face financial penalties. Failure to comply with a content removal order within 30 days will result in a ban on local advertising, while repeated violations could lead to bandwidth reductions of up to 90 per cent.
Calls to restrict children’s access to harmful online content intensified last week after southeastern Türkiye was shaken by two consecutive school shootings that left nine people dead.
Subsequent investigations revealed that the two young perpetrators - one of whom was a 14-year-old student - were active players of violent online games, raising concerns about the potential impact of such content on minors.
Last December, Australia became the first country to ban social media use for children under 16. Several other nations are now reportedly considering similar restrictions.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday...
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are m...
German voters cast ballots on Sunday in two state elections that could add to the political pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as his governmen...
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said a Togo-flagged oil tanker was struck while attempting to make an “illegal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said early on Friday.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
The European Union will disburse €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) to Ukraine for missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has cleared the criminal record of former soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a wounded Palestinian in the West Bank in 2016.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million to 19 countries but can it turn these crops into a recognisable international product?
The death toll in a suicide attack at a police compound in northwest Pakistan has reached 31, AFP reported on Saturday, citing a police official.
Azerbaijan has rejected France’s justification for advising its citizens against travel to the country, after Paris cited risks of arbitrary detention and unfair trials.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment