Education Minister Yusuf Tekin has announced that the ministry is preparing to take legal action against Meta regarding children's safety.
The Education Ministry is preparing to sue Meta over social media content that it says could harm children’s academic and personal development, Education Minister Yusuf Tekin has said.
Speaking to journalists, Tekin said children continued to encounter age-inappropriate material online despite restrictions on mobile phone use in schools and warnings about social media risks.
The ministry believes social media companies and content creators must take greater responsibility for protecting young users, he said, adding that legal action was being considered along the lines of cases brought in the United States and European Union.
“Either make your content inaccessible to these children, or approve it in a way that ensures children are not harmed,” Tekin said, calling on platforms to reassess the material available to minors.
He also said the influence of social media should be examined in investigations into recent school security incidents, stressing that protecting students required measures beyond physical security. Authorities have introduced measures including police deployments, security personnel and upgraded camera systems, while also placing greater emphasis on school counselling services.
The planned lawsuit comes as Türkiye prepares to tighten restrictions on children’s social media use. Regulations published in the Official Gazette on Oct. 10 are due to take effect on Nov. 1, prohibiting platforms from providing services to users under 15 and introducing age verification through e-Devlet, the government’s digital services portal.
Under the rules, platforms must reject registrations by children under 15 and close existing accounts found to belong to them. Users aged 15 to 17 will be subject to additional safeguards, including private accounts, restrictions on livestreaming and personalized advertising, and a ban on infinite-scrolling feeds.
