The era of anonymous internet in Turkey has come to an end

With a legislative amendment passed in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey last night, a new oversight mechanism is being implemented in Turkey's internet infrastructure under the guise of "transparency." The regulation, known in the public eye as the "under-15 ban" but which will affect all internet users in its scope, mandates that platforms perform age verification via e-Devlet (e-Government).

Not "Age Verification," but "Digital Identity"

The most debated article of the regulation is the requirement for effective age verification imposed on social networks and gaming platforms. Experts point out that it is technically difficult for this system to function reliably outside of e-Devlet integration. This situation creates the risk of effectively eliminating anonymity on the internet and establishing a "digital profiling" environment where every digital step taken by a user is matched with their national identification number.

"Publisher" Status and Strict Oversight for Gaming Platforms

With this law, the concepts of 'Game', 'Game distributor', 'Game developer', and 'Game platform' have entered legal legislation for the first time. Now, the gaming world is also subject to obligations similar to those of social media platforms:

Representative Requirement: Foreign-based gaming platforms with daily access exceeding 100,000 (Steam, Epic Games, PlayStation Store, etc.) must appoint an official representative in Turkey.

Age Rating: Game providers will classify their content according to age criteria and comply with the standards set by the BTK (Information and Communication Technologies Authority).

Information Sharing: The BTK will be able to request any information regarding the platforms, and companies will be required to respond to these requests within 15 days.

"Bandwidth Throttling" and Million-Lira Fines for Non-Compliance

Financial Sanctions: Administrative fines ranging from 1 to 10 million TL will be imposed on those who fail to fulfill their obligations, and fines of 10 to 30 million TL will be imposed if the violation continues.

Heavy sanctions await platforms that do not comply with the new law. The process will work as follows:

Access Restriction (Bandwidth Throttling): If the conditions are not met, the platform's internet traffic will first be slowed by 30%, and then by 50%. This means that games will become unplayable and platforms will become inaccessible.

Debates on Authoritarian Surveillance

The opposition and civil society organizations argue that this change will not be limited to protecting children, but that a "panopticon" (surveillance tower) is being built where the state can track the digital footprints of all citizens. How the regulation will align with the principles of freedom of expression and the protection of personal data is set to be the hottest topic of debate in the coming days.

News Source: 12punto