Trade Ministry Fines 152 Businesses 15.2 Million TL for Fake Listings on Social Media

The Trade Ministry has applied a total of 15.2 million TL in administrative fines to 152 businesses that shared unlawful real estate and vehicle listings on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok; Anadolu Agency reported.

The Electronic Listing Verification System (EIDS), which the Ministry deployed to prevent fake listings and consumer harm, is now mandatory for social media posts. The rule is: every photograph, video, or description containing a real estate or vehicle listing must first share an EIDS-verified listing link; the visuals and text used must match exactly with the verified listing.

Seventy real estate offices and auto dealerships that failed to comply with this requirement were fined 7 million TL in a single enforcement sweep. The total number of businesses sanctioned to date has reached 152, with the total penalties amounting to 15.2 million TL.

The EIDS system previously covered only listing sites such as Sahibinden and Emlakjet, but was expanded last year to include Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and TikTok. Since that time, Ministry inspections have been continuous; this latest wave represents the highest total penalty amount since the system was extended to social media.