Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş (AA File Photo)
Türkiye will prohibit social media users aged 15 to 18 from livestreaming and recording their screens under a new child protection regulation set to take effect on Nov. 1, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said.
Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Göktaş said the regulation would introduce age verification through e-Devlet, Türkiye’s government digital services portal, for users seeking to open social media accounts.
Users will receive a digital code after verifying their age. Platforms will also be required to use their own technological systems to estimate users’ ages and conduct ongoing checks after accounts are created.
If a platform suspects that an account is being used by someone under 15, it will temporarily suspend the account and direct the user to verify their age again through e-Devlet. Checks may also be repeated to prevent children from accessing social media through their parents’ accounts, Göktaş said, adding that the government would oversee compliance alongside the platforms.
The regulation will also restrict direct messages to those from accounts a child follows and disable read receipts, which indicate whether a message has been seen.
Göktaş said the government also aimed to remove design features considered to encourage excessive screen use, including continuous scrolling and functions that allow users to replay content from the beginning. Measures to limit children’s constant exposure to advertisements are also planned.
Social media platforms will have until March 31, 2027, to complete the transition and comply with the new requirements.
