Phoenix 24
The new rules combine age verification with stricter privacy protections for teenagers, placing Türkiye among the countries adopting stronger limits on children’s digital exposure.
Ankara, Türkiye
Türkiye will prohibit children under the age of 15 from using social media beginning November 1, under a new regulation that introduces mandatory age verification and differentiated digital services for users between 15 and 17.
The regulation was published in the country’s Official Gazette and applies to both domestic and foreign social-network providers accessible from Türkiye. Platforms will be required to verify users’ ages when accounts are created and to adapt their services according to whether users are under 15, between 15 and 17, or adults.
For users aged 15 to 17, the rules require a more protected version of social media. Accounts will be private by default, while behavioral personalization will be restricted. The regulation also requires additional safety and privacy measures designed to reflect the developmental needs of younger users.
Age verification will rely on a digital indicator generated through Türkiye’s e-Devlet government portal. The system is designed to communicate only whether a user has crossed the relevant age thresholds rather than transmitting names or other identifying information directly to social-media companies.
Existing accounts will also be affected. Users whose accounts were created before the new rules take effect will have until March 31, 2027, to complete age verification. Accounts belonging to children under 15 will be closed, while those belonging to older minors will be moved into the differentiated-service framework.
The measure also includes parental-control tools, appeal mechanisms and provisions allowing platforms to suspend accounts when there is reasonable suspicion that they are being used outside the verified age category.
Türkiye’s move reflects a wider international shift in digital regulation. Governments are increasingly examining whether social-media platforms should be treated differently when they are used by children, particularly when recommendation algorithms, personalized feeds and engagement systems are designed to maximize time spent online.
The policy also introduces a difficult balance. Stronger age controls may reduce children’s exposure to harmful content or manipulative design, but they also raise questions about privacy, implementation and how much identity verification should be required simply to access digital communication.
Türkiye’s regulation attempts to address that tension by separating age verification from broader personal identification. Whether that model proves effective will depend on how platforms implement the rules and how easily younger users can bypass them.
The broader debate is shifting rapidly. The question is no longer whether children should have special protections online, but how far governments should go in redesigning the digital environment around them.