Turkey bans social media for under-15s from November 1

Turkey has formally announced a ban prohibiting children under the age of 15 from using social media platforms, with the new restriction scheduled to take effect on November 1.

The policy was made public through Turkey's official state gazette following legislative approval granted by parliament in April. The regulation establishes strict obligations for digital platforms operating in the country, mandating that technology firms prevent younger teens and children from accessing their networks.

Under the newly published rules, online platforms must deploy age verification mechanisms along with other administrative and technical tools to ensure compliance. The law expressly forbids digital services from offering features that are prone to causing addictive behaviors among youth, placing the burden of enforcement directly on the operators of the services.

The initiative aligns Turkey with several other nations that are considering or enforcing legal boundaries on internet access for youth. Governments across the globe, including Australia, have instituted age-based limits, while lawmakers in Britain and France are evaluating similar regulatory frameworks. These measures are broadly aimed at curbing digital harms, including sleep deprivation, screen dependency, cyberbullying, and psychological conditions such as eating disorders.

The introduction of the youth ban comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Turkey's broader digital and regulatory landscape. Human rights advocates have previously raised concerns regarding free speech constraints in the country, noting recent account suspensions and regulatory actions that have affected political opponents, independent journalists, and LGBTQ advocacy groups.

Social media networks will have until the start of November to adapt their user onboarding and authentication procedures to comply with the nationwide mandate.