ANKARA, March 4 (GeokHub) - Turkey’s governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has introduced draft legislation that would prohibit children under the age of 15 from accessing social media platforms, marking one of the country’s most sweeping digital restrictions to date.
The proposal, submitted to parliament on Wednesday under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, aims to tighten oversight of online platforms amid growing concerns about the impact of digital content on minors’ mental health and safety.
If passed, the bill would require social media companies to implement robust age-verification systems and expand parental control tools. Children aged 15 and above would be directed to separate, “safe” digital environments designed to limit exposure to harmful content.
The draft law also mandates that in emergency cases, content deemed harmful to children must be removed within one hour. Platforms that fail to comply could face financial penalties of up to 3% of their global annual revenue or risk bandwidth restrictions within Turkey.
Broader Regulatory Framework
The proposed legislation extends beyond social media. Foreign online gaming distributors would be required to implement standardized age-rating systems and comply with new child-protection measures.
According to AK Party Parliamentary Group Deputy Head Leyla Sahin Usta, companies would be given six months to align their systems with the new requirements once the law takes effect.
Turkey already maintains strict oversight of digital platforms. Authorities frequently impose content removals and access bans, citing national security and public order concerns. Independent monitoring groups estimate that more than one million web pages and social media posts are currently blocked in the country.
