Turkey is restricting children’s access to social media and requiring providers to verify users’ ages

Turkey is imposing a 15-year age limit for children’s access to social media through new provisions aimed at reducing the risks associated with using online services. Social media providers are required to take technical and administrative measures, including verifying users’ ages, to enforce the rules.

The text stipulates that no service that could cause addiction may be offered to children. The measure seeks to limit minors’ exposure to risks such as screen addiction, sleep deprivation, online bullying and eating disorders.

Several countries have adopted or are considering similar measures to protect children and adolescents in the digital environment. In this context, Turkey’s regulations add to a broader framework for controlling online platforms.

Agence France-Presse notes, however, that the age limit is being introduced in a climate marked by restrictions on freedom of expression, including those affecting sexual minorities, the press and politics. In recent weeks, numerous social media accounts have been blocked in Turkey.