16.02.2026 12:42
The Ministry has intervened in social media, where families struggle to protect their children. A new draft has been submitted to the Parliament to keep children under the age of 15 under supervision. Accordingly, a age limit of 15 will be imposed on social media usage. There will be a requirement to provide parental control tools on platforms and to establish an age verification system. Administrative fines and bandwidth throttling penalties may be imposed on those who do not comply with the rules.
A comprehensive social media regulation aimed at protecting children in the digital environment will soon be presented to the Parliament. According to the draft prepared, a 15-year age limit will be imposed on social media usage, a requirement for parental control tools on platforms, and a condition for age verification systems are foreseen.
48-HOUR LIMIT FOR COMPLAINTS
The regulation will impose additional obligations on social network providers.
Accordingly: The provision of parental control tools will be mandatory. Complaint applications will be responded to within a maximum of 48 hours. Preventive measures will be taken to block deceptive advertisements.
Digital game providers will also be required to rate games according to age criteria. Unrated games will not be allowed to be offered.
OBLIGATION TO NOTIFY BTK
Foreign game distributors with daily access from Turkey above a certain level will be required to have a representative in Turkey and to notify the BTK. Administrative fines and bandwidth reduction penalties may be imposed on those who do not comply with the rules.
In determining the 15-year age limit, scientific research, the criminal liability threshold in the Turkish Penal Code, regulations in the Turkish Civil Code, and practices in European countries were taken into account.
INTERMINISTERIAL CONSULTATIONS
In Australia, France, Denmark, Belgium, and some states in the USA, age restrictions and parental consent requirements for children's social media use are being implemented. In China, internet access is restricted during certain hours.
The draft focuses on different age verification methods. Facial recognition systems, algorithms that estimate age from online activities, and identity verification methods are among the options.
A SAFER ENVIRONMENT WILL BE PROVIDED
As part of the studies, it has been reported that consultations were held with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of National Education, academics, civil society organizations, social media platforms, as well as parents and children.
It is stated that the new regulation aims to create a safer environment in digital media in line with the principle of the best interests of the child.
Authorities indicate that the existing legislation does not adequately respond to the rapidly evolving digital world.
While it is emphasized that children have become more vulnerable in the online environment due to technological transformation, there is a need for a proactive and holistic legal regulation against risks that could negatively affect their physical, psychological, and social development.