TÜRKIYE BANS SOCIAL MEDIA FOR CHILDREN UNDER 15 UNDER NEW REGULATIONS

Sat 10 October 2026:

Türkiye has barred social network providers from offering services to minors under the age of 15, according to new Cyber Security Directorate regulations published Saturday in the Official Gazette.

The regulation said providers “cannot provide services to children who have not reached the age of 15.”

Providers must also offer differentiated services and take necessary measures for users 15 and older, according to the regulations, adding that they should consider the minor’s best interests and their physical, mental, psychological, social, and emotional development.

Age verification must prioritize personal data protection, using methods that determine only whether a user meets the age threshold rather than establishing identity, it added.

Saying that providers must make the reliability of verification methods, their algorithm structures, and child-focused service policies “clear, auditable and testable for users, parents and the directorate,” it stressed that they must create clear, user-friendly parental control tools.

The regulations come under new legislation on social media passed by the Turkish parliament this April.

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Social media often harms children’s mental health, sleep, and development. A major 2026 meta-analysis of 153 longitudinal studies involving hundreds of thousands of young people linked higher social media use to increased depression, anxiety, behavioral problems, self-injurious thoughts, substance use, and poorer self-perception and academic achievement—with stronger effects in early adolescence.

The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that more than three hours a day roughly doubles the risk of depression and anxiety symptoms, and that platforms cannot yet be considered sufficiently safe for youth.

Nighttime use and blue light disrupt sleep, which then worsens mood, focus, and emotional regulation. Constant comparison to filtered images drives body dissatisfaction and lower self-esteem, especially among girls, while cyberbullying and exposure to harmful content add further stress. Reduced face-to-face interaction and physical activity further limit healthy social and physical development. Problematic or addictive patterns of use show particularly consistent links to these negative outcomes.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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