US EditionTurkish parliament passes bill to restrict social media access for under-15s
The bill requires age verification, parental controls and faster removal of harmful content, with penalties including bandwidth reductions and fines.
- The Turkish Parliament voted on Wednesday to ban children under 15 from accessing social media platforms, mandating age-verification systems and parental control tools to mitigate online risks.
- Following a 14-year-old attacker's school shooting in Kahramanmaras that killed nine students and a teacher, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described social media platforms as "cesspools" corrupting children's minds.
- Companies must intervene within one hour if alerted to an "emergency" regarding harmful content, according to NTV, while the law enters force six months after publication in the official gazette.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has 15 days to sign the bill into law, though the opposition CHP criticized the ban, advocating for rights-based policies instead of restrictions.
- This move aligns with a global trend following Australia's December ban for under-16s, as France and the European Union are pursuing similar restrictions to protect young people from online harms.
57 Articles
57 Articles
Turkey Bans Social Media Access for Under-15s
Turkey passed a bill on April 22 to prevent minors under 15 from accessing social media, becoming the latest country to enact such laws since Australia became the first to put age restrictions on the platforms in December 2025. Under the rules, children under 15 will not be able to register for or access accounts on the platforms, with tech companies expected to introduce effective age-restriction systems, according to state-run news outlet Anad…
The Turkish parliament has agreed to a social media ban for children and young people under the age of 15. The opposition accuses the government of introducing new restrictions under the guise of child protection.
Turkey follows Australia and Austria on the protection of minors and prohibits accounts for online services for under-15 year olds
Platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok will soon be off-limits for children and young people in Turkey. The government in Ankara is following other countries such as Australia and Indonesia.
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