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.
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