30.10.2026 13:11
The regulation banning social media services for children under 15 enters into force on November 1. Users between the ages of 15 and 18 will be able to receive only limited service, while all users must verify their age via e-Devlet by March 31, 2027. SAÜ Faculty of Law faculty member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sezercan Bektaş warned families not to give their e-Devlet passwords to their children and to be careful against fake approval messages.
The regulation on the Provision of Child-Specific Differentiated Services by Social Network Providers and Age Verification, which prohibits social media platforms from providing services to children under the age of 15 and sets out the implementation principles, enters into force on Sunday, November 1. Associate Professor Dr. Sezercan Bektaş, a faculty member, made statements and warnings on the matter.
Evaluating the regulation that opens the door to a new era in social media, Sakarya University (SAÜ) Faculty of Law faculty member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sezercan Bektaş clarified many issues, from the age verification obligation to the legal responsibilities of parents, from fraud risks to the obligations of platforms. Bektaş drew attention to the vital importance of families acting consciously for the regulation to be effective.
NO SERVICE UNDER 15, RESTRICTED ACCESS FOR AGES 15-18
Sharing details on the legal infrastructure of the regulation and the age verification process, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sezercan Bektaş said, 'This regulation, which will enter into force as of November 1, 2026 and is also known as the social media law, was introduced with 4 articles added to Law No. 5651 and was further detailed by the regulation issued by the Cybersecurity Presidency. Within the framework of the regulation, it has been enacted into law that children under the age of 15 cannot receive services from social media network providers. It has been regulated that children between the ages of 15 and 18 can receive a differentiated service. Determining age here is of great importance. To determine your age when entering your social media, you will log into your page via e-Devlet at least once, and the system will automatically determine your age. If you are under 15, the social media network provider will not provide you with service. If you are between 15 and 18, you will receive differentiated service in a more restricted system. This system includes a structure in which adults cannot reach you, cannot interact with you, you can only message between certain people, and you do not have a feed page,' he said.
APPROVAL MANDATORY UNTIL MARCH 31, 2027
Stating that all social media users are subject to a certain schedule, Bektaş said, 'Those over 18, or all social media users, must confirm via the indicator on e-Devlet by March 31, 2027 that they have reached the age of 18 or confirm their information related to the age limit.'
DO NOT GIVE YOUR E-DEVLET PASSWORD TO YOUR CHILD
Emphasizing that parents have a great responsibility in the legal regulation prepared with the best interests of the child in mind, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bektaş said, 'I especially want to warn mothers and fathers here: absolutely do not let your children use your e-Devlet passwords. This is the most important point. Because if the age indicator shows over 18, the social media regulation and the law will have been violated for the children. Be sure to talk with your children about the social media regulation. As a mother or father, examine and supervise their relationships with social media.'
Touching on the obligations the regulation imposes on platforms, Bektaş said, 'The regulation also includes an obligation for social media network providers to introduce applications that support parents. That is, social media network providers are obliged to provide the applications through which you will monitor your child's account and follow. After November 1, they will absolutely announce these applications on their websites; the regulation mandates this.'
FAKE MESSAGE AND FRAUD WARNING
Drawing attention to the fact that fraudsters could abuse the process, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sezercan Bektaş warned, 'Since social media account indicators need to be confirmed in this period, the situation may turn into an opportunity for fraudsters. They may commit fraud by sending fake messages telling people to confirm their social media via their e-Devlet. I want to emphasize that our citizens should be extremely careful against such fraud attempts.'