Under-15 Social Media Ban Published in Official Gazette: Age Verification via e-Government to Become Mandatory

The regulation governing age restrictions on social media was published in the Official Gazette today. Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş announced that the implementation phase has begun for the under-15 regulation that parliament passed into law in May.

Under the regulation, social network providers will be prohibited from offering services to children under the age of 15. Age verification through e-Government will become mandatory for all users without requiring the disclosure of identity information. Accounts in the 15–18 age group will be set to private by default, and follower and following information will not be visible to third parties.

Live streaming will not be permitted for this age group, and platforms will be required to implement technical measures to prevent screenshots. The regulation also covers content and notification mechanisms that create conditions conducive to behavioral addiction.

With this move, Turkey joins the first wave of major countries to enact similar legislation following Australia's law last year banning social media for those under 16. Previously, RTÜK could only apply content restrictions to broadcasting platforms; this regulation marks the first time social networks have been subjected to identity verification requirements.