Turkey Considers Social Media Ban for Under-15s

In a significant move, the Turkish parliament has voted in favor of a bill that would impose a ban on social media usage for all children under the age of 15. This proposed legislation also requires social media platforms to implement robust age-verification measures within their applications, provide accessible parental control tools, and demonstrate a quicker response to the dissemination of harmful content.

According to reports from The Associated Press, lawmakers passed this bill in the aftermath of two tragic school shootings that occurred in Turkey. Following these incidents, police reportedly arrested 162 individuals who were accused of sharing footage of the tragedies online.

The bill now awaits the signature of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has a 15-day window to accept it for it to become law. President Erdogan has previously described social media platforms as "cesspools" in a televised national address.

Beyond the major social media networks, the proposed law extends its reach to online gaming companies, which would also be compelled to introduce their own restrictions for minors. Potential penalties for non-compliance could include reductions in bandwidth and financial sanctions.

This is not the first time Turkey has engaged in regulatory actions concerning social media and online gaming platforms. Instagram, for instance, faced a block in the country in 2024 due to a dispute over content related to Hamas. While access was restored about a week later, during the same period, Roblox was also banned over allegations of inappropriate sexual content deemed exploitative of children. At that time, a Turkish official also cited the "promotion of homosexuality" as a reason for the ban.

Turkey has also imposed temporary bans on Twitter, now known as X, on multiple occasions. The most recent instance was after the devastating earthquakes in 2023, although the specific reasons for the government's decision to block the platform were not immediately clear.

The move by Turkey's lawmakers to restrict social media access for those under 15 aligns with a growing global trend. Countries like Greece and Austria have recently enacted similar legislation, following Australia's precedent as the first nation to ban children under 16 from social media last year. The UK has also been contemplating stricter regulations.