Turkey’s parliament has passed a new law that bans kids under 15 from using social media.
Under the new rules, global platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and others have to create and use strong, “hard-to-bypass” tech systems to verify users’ ages before giving them access. Platforms also need to offer separate interfaces and advanced parental control tools for users above that age.
The law gives the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) wide powers to enforce compliance. Companies that break the rules could face fines starting at 1 million Turkish lira and going up to 30 million.
It also bans companies based in Turkey from signing advertising deals with any platform that violates the law. If a platform keeps ignoring the rules, the authority can request cutting its bandwidth by 50% up to 90%, which would basically cripple the app داخل the country.
The regulations don’t stop at social media—they also apply to gaming platforms. These platforms must now rate their games based on age standards and appoint a legal representative in Turkey if they have more than 100,000 daily users.
The law also requires that all in-game purchases and subscriptions must have prior parental approval.
Turkey’s parliament has given tech companies and service providers 6 months from the date the regulations are officially published to comply, set up parental controls, and implement identity verification systems before penalties kick in.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also warned children about the risks of the digital world, saying: “Enjoy the internet—it’s your right—but don’t let it take you away from playing, reading, sports, and spending time with your friends in real life.”
