Anonymity on Social Media to End: Minister Gürlek Announces Identity Verification Regulation

New Regulation and Implementation Process According to the prepared draft, social media accounts that do not complete identity verification within a specified period are planned to be closed to access.
While work on the technical infrastructure of the regulation continues, the exact implementation of the "real account" concept has not yet been finalized.
It remains unclear whether the regulation will be limited to system-level identity verification or if users will be required to use their real names and surnames in their profile displays.
How these requirements will be integrated with the global usage policies of social media platforms is expected to be clarified in the coming period.
Citizens Abroad Included The new regulation does not only affect users within Turkey's borders but also directly concerns Turkish citizens living abroad.
According to Minister Gürlek's statements, users abroad will be required to verify their identities using passport information and SMS confirmation.
Child Protection and Cybersecurity Looking at the background of the process, the regulation was initially brought to the agenda to protect children in the digital world.
However, recent announcements indicate that the scope has been expanded to include all users.
This step is described as a critical part of the strategy to combat disinformation, cyberbullying, and cybercrimes carried out through anonymous accounts.