10.10.2026 00:40
The regulation governing children's social media use was published in the Official Gazette. According to the regulation, children under the age of 15 will not be able to access social media. For children in the 15-18 age group, new rules on privacy, messaging, content recommendations, and parental control will be implemented. The regulation will enter into force on November 1, 2026.
The "Regulation on the Provision of Child-Specific Segmented Services and Age Verification by Social Network Providers" prepared by the Cyber Security Presidency was published in the Official Gazette. With the regulation introduced, access of children under the age of 15 to social media platforms has been banned.
SOCIAL MEDIA REGULATION IN THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE
With the "Regulation on the Provision of Child-Specific Segmented Services and Age Verification by Social Network Providers," published in the Official Gazette and to enter into force on November 1, 2026, new rules were introduced for the protection of children on social networks.
In the regulation, under the heading "Age Verification, Segmented Services and Parental Control Tools," Article 5, paragraph 1, the provision "A social network provider cannot provide services to children under the age of fifteen" was included.
BANNED FOR CHILDREN UNDER 15
In this context, social network providers will not be able to provide services to children under the age of 15, and age determination will be made via e-Government without sharing identity information, only with a field showing the age range.
While existing accounts will be required to be verified by March 31, 2027, a "segmented service" model will be implemented for children between the ages of 15 and 18, under which accounts will be private by default, messaging will be restricted, and opening live broadcasts and contact synchronization will be prohibited.
In addition, families will be offered Turkish-supported parental control tools with which they can monitor children's screen time, spending, and account settings. The Regulation will enter into force on November 1, 2026.