Turkey bans social media for under-15s, restricts teen features

Turkey has enacted new regulations targeting social media platforms, banning access for children under 15 and introducing significant limitations for teenagers aged 15 to 17. The rules, published in the Official Gazette on October 10, will take effect on November 1, 2026.

Under the new directives, platforms must verify user ages through Turkey's e-government portal. Accounts belonging to children under 15 must be closed by March 31, 2027. Teenagers (15-17) can continue using social media, but their profiles must remain private, and their accounts will not be recommended to other users or appear in search results. Live streaming, behavioral profiling, and personalized commercial advertisements are prohibited.

Furthermore, the regulations ban "infinite scrolling," where content is continuously presented through scrolling, tapping, or auto-play. Direct messaging for minors is restricted to accounts they follow, and read receipts have been disabled. Platforms are also prohibited from syncing teen accounts with phone contacts.

Social media companies are required to provide parental controls for managing screen time, settings, location sharing, and purchases. Violations of these regulations may result in penalties under Turkey's existing internet law, though companies will be given an opportunity to rectify breaches before sanctions are imposed.