Social media age limit for under-15s: e-Government token, deadline March 31, 2027

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zindan Çakıcı, Chair of the New Media and Communication Department at Üsküdar University's Faculty of Communication, explained how the regulation that came into effect on November 1 and restricts social media use for children under 15 will operate. According to Ekonomim, the core mechanism of the regulation is an age verification token to be created through e-Government.

According to Çakıcı, users will verify their identity through e-Government and create this token through a service provided by the Cyber Security Authority, then upload it to their social media platform. The platform will verify the token and determine the user's age group. The token will not contain the person's identity information or birth date; it will only indicate whether the person meets the 15 and 18 age thresholds.

The regulation envisions different applications based on age groups: children under 15 cannot be provided with social network services, while users who have reached 15 but not yet 18 will be given access to a child-specific differentiated service.

Existing accounts must undergo age verification at least once by March 31, 2027. Çakıcı said that it is not sufficient for platforms to only perform age checks; they must also adapt child accounts' privacy settings, content presentation, communication features, and recommendation systems in compliance with the regulation's provisions.

Referencing the Disinformation Combat Center's warning that personal and financial information could be obtained through fake SMS messages, emails, and links, Çakıcı emphasized that age verification procedures must be carried out only through the official e-Government Portal or the official mobile application. He stated that VPN use will not invalidate the age verification token, because age determination is based on verified age information, not the user's location.

Noting that when a user whose account has been closed activates the appeal mechanism, content and personal data cannot be deleted until the process is concluded, Çakıcı said that appeals cannot be evaluated solely through automated systems; platforms must provide a free, Turkish-language, and accessible application mechanism and conduct meaningful human review. Çakıcı, who called for strengthening digital literacy education in schools, emphasized that the regulation's effectiveness should "not be measured solely by the number of closed accounts."