Turkey Imposes Restrictions on Children's Use of Social Media

The Turkish government has passed a new law regulating the use of social media by minors. According to the document, children under the age of 15 are now restricted from registering and operating on social media platforms.

Under the new regulations, all internet platforms must implement special verification systems to determine the age of their users. Additionally, companies are obligated to provide technical tools that allow parents to monitor their children's virtual activities.

These legislative changes place significant responsibility on social media operators. Specifically, companies must promptly delete or restrict access to any information deemed harmful to children's mental health and safety.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, commenting on the decision, emphasized that the primary goal is to ensure the safety of the younger generation and protect their personal data from various threats. The push for these strict measures was a recent tragic incident in the city of Kahramanmaraş, where a heinous crime committed by a 14-year-old teenager resulted in several deaths.

Law enforcement agencies are currently investigating the case and closely examining the suspect's social media activities. Experts believe that uncontrolled internet content may have negatively influenced the youth's behavior.

It is worth noting that such restrictions are not unprecedented in global practice. This practice of protecting children from internet risks was first introduced in Australia, followed by Indonesia, which also tightened social media rules for youth.

Drawing on this international experience, the Turkish government aims to strengthen information security in society. In the future, technology companies that fail to comply with the law are expected to face heavy fines.