Turkey wants to ban social media for kids under 15

Source: Engadget

Proposed Ban on Social Media for Children Under 15 in Turkey

The Turkish parliament has voted through a bill that would ban all children under the age of 15 from using social media. The legislation requires social media platforms to enforce age‑verification measures, provide parental‑control tools, and respond more quickly to harmful content.

As reported by The Associated Press, the bill was passed in the wake of two deadly school shootings in Turkey, after which police arrested 162 people accused of sharing footage of the tragedies online (BBC). President Recep Tayyip Erdogan now has 15 days to sign the bill into law; he has previously described social media platforms as “cesspools” in a televised address.

In addition to major social media platforms, the bill would require online gaming companies to implement restrictions on minors, with potential penalties including bandwidth reductions and financial fines.

Legislative Details

• Age verification: Platforms must verify users are at least 15 years old.
• Parental controls: Tools must be provided to allow parents to manage their children’s access.
• Rapid response: Platforms must act quickly to remove harmful content.
• Gaming restrictions: Online gaming services must enforce similar age‑related limits, with possible bandwidth throttling or fines for non‑compliance.

Context and Previous Restrictions

• Instagram: Blocked in 2024 over Hamas‑related content; access was restored after about a week.
• Roblox: Banned for alleged child‑exploitation content and “promotion of homosexuality.”
• Twitter (now X): Temporarily blocked on several occasions, most recently after the 2023 earthquakes.

International Comparisons

• Greece: Proposed a ban for all users under 15.
• Austria: Pursuing a ban for users under 14.
• Australia: Became the first country to ban children under 16 from social media last year.
• United Kingdom: Has considered similar restrictions for users under 16.