Türkiye will prohibit social media platforms from providing services to children under 15 starting November 1, under new regulations published in the country’s Resmi Gazete (Official Gazette) on October 10, Anadolu Agency reports.
The new rules require social media platforms to verify users’ ages when they register, using an age-verification token issued through Türkiye’s e-Government portal, e-Devlet. The system is designed to confirm whether users meet the minimum age requirement without requiring platforms to establish their full identity.
“Social network providers may not provide services to children who have not reached the age of 15,” the regulation states.
Platforms will also have to verify the ages of existing users by March 31, 2027. Accounts identified as belonging to children under 15 will be closed.
What restrictions will apply to teenagers?
Users aged 15 to 17 will be subject to additional protections under the regulations.
Their accounts will be private by default, and other users will not be able to view their followers and following lists. Teenagers will not be allowed to livestream or receive personalized advertising.
They will also be able to receive direct messages only from accounts they follow.
The rules require platforms to provide parental control tools, allowing parents and guardians to manage account settings, limit screen time and approve paid transactions and subscriptions.
Platforms must also introduce measures to protect children’s personal data and limit features that encourage excessive use of social media.
Other countries are tightening restrictions
Türkiye is joining a growing number of countries introducing age limits for social media use.
Australia became the first country to introduce a nationwide minimum age of 16 for accounts on major social media platforms. The restrictions took effect on December 10, 2025, covering services including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, X and other popular platforms fall under the law.
According to Australia’s online safety regulator, eSafety, platforms restricted access to approximately 4.7 million accounts belonging to users under 16 by mid-December 2025. The regulator published the figure in January 2026.
Such restrictions are intended to protect children from harmful online content, cyberbullying and other risks associated with social media use.