Age verification for children on social media begins November 1, infinite scroll banned

The 'Regulation on the Provision of Age-Differentiated Services and Age Verification by Social Network Providers' published in the Official Gazette on October 10, 2026, formally brings age verification requirements to social media platforms into effect.

Implementation for new accounts begins November 1, 2026. Existing accounts opened previously must undergo verification at least once by March 31, 2027 at the latest; accounts not verified by this date will be closed.

As a verification method, self-declared birth date alone will be considered invalid; the system is planned to operate primarily through e-Government integration.

Among the restrictions introduced under the "age-differentiated service" framework for users aged 15 and over but under 18, the live streaming ban and infinite scroll barrier stand out. That is, child accounts will no longer be able to access the infinite content feed that automatically scrolls on TikTok or Instagram.

With this step, Turkey is following in the footsteps of Australia and France, which implemented similar legal measures between 2023 and 2025; however, e-Government integration ties identity verification to a more centralized infrastructure than most other countries. Platforms have only three weeks remaining for technical compliance.