Social Media Regulation for Under-15s to Reach Turkish Parliament: Heavy Sanctions for Companies

New Obligations for Social Network Providers A new legislative proposal prepared by the Ministry of Family and Social Services, aimed at ensuring the safety of children in the digital world, will be submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) at the end of this month.
Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş stated that the proposal will impose significant responsibilities on social network providers.
The regulation aims to prevent platforms from offering services to children under the age of 15 and to prohibit them from opening accounts.
Furthermore, the establishment of effective filtering systems will become mandatory to prevent children from being exposed to harmful content.
Child Protection as a Priority Göktaş noted that the regulation was shaped following over a year of collaboration with experts, academics, families, and children.
She emphasized the goal of preventing children from being drawn into crime within the digital sphere.
The Minister asserted that protecting children is a primary priority and that the government cannot remain a bystander to the current situation.
She also recalled the launch of the "Children are Safe" website and mobile application last month as part of these ongoing efforts.
Heavy Sanctions Proposed Highlighting that similar discussions are occurring globally, the regulation plans to implement severe sanctions against companies that fail to comply or commit systemic violations.
Under this framework, companies that do not fulfill their obligations could face fines of up to 10% of their global revenue.
The new regulation aims to maximize the safety of children under 15 on digital platforms and to tighten oversight mechanisms.