Turkey to restrict use of social networks by children from November 1

Restrictions on the use of social networks by children in Turkey will come into force on November 1.

According to TASS, the relevant regulatory act of the Office for Cyber Security under the presidential administration of Turkey was published on October 10 in the government bulletin Resmi Gazete.

It states that the restrictions come into force from November 1, 2026. According to the document, social networks will not be able to provide services to children under 15 years of age. For users aged 15 to 18, the platforms will need to create a separate mode with enhanced security and privacy protection measures. For existing and active accounts, age verification will need to be completed by March 31, 2027.

The age of users will be confirmed through the nationwide system of public services e-Devlet using a special identifier. Accounts of 15 to 18-year-olds will be closed by default. They will be banned from live broadcasts, personalized advertising and separate mechanisms for offering content. Social networks will also not be able to recommend other accounts to minors based on the data collected about them, and their own profiles will not be offered to other users.

In addition, the protocols for the personal safety of minor users are being tightened. Social networks will not be able to sync children’s accounts with phone books, contact lists, email address books, and lists of friends and subscriptions in other apps and platforms. They are also prohibited from accessing and processing the data extracted from such sources.

In addition to direct restrictions for minor users, the regulation also obliges social networks to create and provide parents and guardians with tools to control the account, its settings, time of use, geolocation, paid transactions and other elements.