Türkiye mulls legislation banning children from using social-media platforms

Türkiye is considering draft legislation that would prohibit children under the age of 15 from opening social-media accounts, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş has said.

“We must not allow social-media platforms to treat our children as commercial commodities,” she told reporters after a Cabinet meeting held this week in capital Ankara.

According to Göktaş, a draft omnibus bill—which includes the proposed social-media ban—will be referred to a parliamentary commission for discussion before the end of the month.

She said the draft legislation would oblige certain social-media platforms to block children under 15 from opening accounts. 

The proposal also calls for the establishment of filtering systems to ensure that minors are not exposed to potentially harmful content online, Göktaş added.

She asserted that frequent use of social media can lead to depression, anxiety, and behavioral disorders among children. She also noted that criminal gangs had used social-media platforms to lure minors into criminal activity.

“In this context, the [proposed] regulation can be viewed as a means of protecting children,” the minister said.

She added that her ministry has been discussing the issue for the past year and a half in conjunction with experts, academics, and civil society organisations, along with families and children themselves.

Last year, Australia became the first country to ban the use of social-media platforms—including X, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram—by children under the age of 16.

Following Australia’s lead, a number of other countries are currently mulling the imposition of stricter regulations on social-media use by minors.

• Australia's world-first social media ban for under-16s
• EU and UK consider stricter social media rules for teens following Australia’s example

Last November, the European Parliament adopted a non-binding recommendation to restrict access to certain platforms by children under 16.

Göktaş said children should be able to benefit from the opportunities afforded by digital platforms. But she also stressed the state’s responsibility to safeguard their mental and emotional well-being.

“Our children are the guarantee of our future,” she said. “Protecting them from all kinds of risks, threats, and harmful content is our top priority.” 

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