Turkey will restrict access to social media for children under 15. The new rules come into effect on November 1, 2026, and platforms will have to verify the age of users through the state e-Devlet electronic services system. The relevant regulation was published in the Turkish state newspaper Resmi Gazete.
“Providers cannot provide services to children under 15“, reads the text of the regulation, quoted by the Anadolu Agency. When creating a profile, social networks will have to determine whether the user has reached the age threshold. Existing accounts will be verified until March 31, 2027, and accounts found to belong to children under 15 will be closed.
The verification will be carried out using a digital identifier generated in e-Devlet. It will only indicate whether the person is 15 years old and under 18, without containing a name, identification number or other personal data. The regulation requires verification systems to be transparent, verifiable and data protection-friendly.
For users between 15 and 18 years old, platforms must introduce a separate regime with stricter security measures. Their profiles will be private by default, they will not be able to start live broadcasts, and their data will not be used for personalized advertising. It also prohibits recommending other profiles based on collected information, as well as linking children's accounts to phone books, email addresses and contact lists in other apps.
Platforms will also be required to provide parental tools to manage settings, limit screen time and approve purchases. The measures are part of legislation passed by the Turkish parliament in April that required social networks to introduce age verification and additional protections for minors.