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The Grand National Assembly of Türkiye has fundamentally altered the nation's digital landscape by passing a comprehensive legislative package designed to secure the internet for minors.
This new regulation, integrated into the Law on Social Services, mandates that social network providers establish safe digital zones for children under the age of 15.
These changes are proposed as a move toward a more supervised environment where platforms bear a heavy legal burden to verify the age of users and provide specialized services based on developmental stages.
The legislation prioritizes the prevention of exposure to inappropriate content, requiring providers to implement age verification systems that move beyond simple self-reporting.
The regulation focuses on controlled use rather than a blanket prohibition, meaning social media remains accessible under stricter conditions.
Social network providers are now prohibited from offering services to children who have not completed their 15th year and must take all necessary measures, including age verification, to enforce this limit.
For those who have reached the age of 15, platforms must provide specialized, separate services appropriately tailored to that age group.
These protective measures and the details of the differentiated services must be clearly published on the providers' own websites to ensure transparency for guardians.
A significant portion of the law shifts the power of oversight to guardians by requiring platforms to offer clear, understandable, and accessible parental control tools.
These mechanisms include features for monitoring usage time and setting strict daily limits to prevent digital exhaustion.
Financial security is also a primary focus, as the law mandates that any transactions—including purchases, rentals, or paid memberships—require explicit parental approval or consent.
Beyond financial oversight, platforms are now legally obligated to take preventative measures against deceptive advertising that might target younger, more impressionable users.
The legislation extends its reach into the digital gaming sector, specifically targeting any overseas provider with more than 100,000 daily visitors from Türkiye.
These platforms must appoint a local representative within the country—either a physical person or a legal entity—and register these details with the Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK) to ensure they are reachable for official notifications.
Furthermore, games cannot be offered unless they are appropriately rated according to age criteria.
If a game has not been formally rated, the platform is required to default to the highest age restriction to ensure compliance and prevent unauthorized access by minors.
To ensure that global tech giants adhere to these standards, the government has introduced a tiered system of penalties and operational restrictions.
Social media providers with over 10 million daily users must comply with content removal or access-blocking orders within one hour during urgent situations.
If a platform ignores administrative fines for 30 days, a comprehensive advertising ban will be triggered, preventing any taxpayer in Türkiye from placing ads or transferring funds to the provider.
Should non-compliance persist for three months after an advertising ban, the BTK may petition the courts to reduce the platform’s internet traffic bandwidth by 50%.
Gaming platforms face a similarly structured escalation of consequences, beginning with official notifications from the BTK.
Failure to fulfill obligations within 30 days of a notification can lead to administrative fines ranging from 1 million to ₺10 million (around $222,643), with a second tier of fines reaching up to ₺30 million for continued non-compliance.
If the platform remains in breach 30 days after the second fine, the BTK can move to restrict its internet traffic bandwidth by 30%.
While the safety features and local representation requirements are immediate, the specific enforcement provisions regarding bandwidth reductions and advertising restrictions will take effect six months after the law's official publication.
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