TikTok team at the Turkish Parliament's Digital Channels Commission

Issues that have sparked controversy on TikTok were addressed at the Turkish Parliament's Digital Channels Commission.

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TikTok team at the Turkish Parliament's Digital Channels Commission

Different decisions are being implemented in various countries regarding TikTok, one of the world's most popular applications. For instance, some European countries have banned employees of official institutions from using TikTok. The US, meanwhile, wants to ban TikTok nationwide. In Turkey, work on the subject is currently underway.

STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF AGE FILTERS IS DEMANDED

Issues that have sparked controversy on TikTok were addressed at the Turkish Parliament's Digital Channels Commission. While TikTok Turkey Spokesperson Emir Gelen attended the meeting, Commission Chairman Hüseyin Yayman stated, "We absolutely want age filters to be strictly enforced. I would like to express that there are certain preparations underway in the Turkish Parliament regarding these issues."

The Turkish Parliament's Digital Channels Commission met to discuss issues that have sparked controversy regarding social media platforms, primarily TikTok. During the meeting chaired by Digital Channels Commission Chairman Hüseyin Yayman, an exchange of ideas took place with TikTok's Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey (MENAT) Region Public Policy Manager and Turkey Spokesperson Emir Gelen, Filiz Türkmenoğlu, a deputy general manager at a communications consultancy firm, Murat Karakoç, Senior Media Relations Manager at the same firm, and TikTok Public Policy Consultant Ceyhun Emre Doğru.

Stating that they are against bans and censorship as a government, Yayman said, "The functioning of democracy in our country according to universal norms is our red line. While defending freedoms on one hand, the protection of the individual, the maintenance of public order, the assurance of family privacy, and the healthy education of young people are our red lines on the other. The balance of democracy, freedom, and security is indispensable for us. Unfortunately, the fact that digital channels often see themselves as above nation-states, above the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, and sometimes become lawmakers themselves is being debated in Turkey just as it is all over the world. Transnational digital networks have unfortunately become places where drugs, human trafficking, cyber-fascism, child abuse, and lawlessness run rampant. We can never condone this. We believe that this balance must be maintained in terms of both ensuring public order and protecting individual freedoms."

Stating that what is a crime in real life is also a crime in the digital world, Yayman said, "Just as it is contrary to the natural flow of life for a woman to undress in a city square and for those around her to donate money to that person, it is also contrary in the digital world. We believe that one must act with more caution and more responsibility here. This is not a warning that applies only to TikTok. Freedoms are important to us, but our family is even more important, and the future of our children is much more important. It is absolutely unacceptable for digital network providers to implement certain practices targeting children, especially at a young age. We absolutely want age filters to be strictly enforced. I would like to express that there are certain preparations underway in the Turkish Parliament regarding these issues," he said.

Stating that they want an explanatory and convincing presentation regarding TikTok, Yayman gave the floor to TikTok Spokesperson Emir Gelen. Expressing that they are aware they can always do more when it comes to platform safety, Gelen said, "We are aware of how important the issue of moderation and the rapid removal of content deemed harmful is for all of us. More than 40 thousand personnel worldwide, including in Turkey, are working for the safety of the platform. This figure naturally includes moderation teams. Our moderators, who audit content, perform strict monitoring around the clock to ensure that this content meets the high standards we have set in our community guidelines. We are investing heavily in our technology, including artificial intelligence, to ensure we have the systems and processes in place to remove any content that violates our community guidelines as quickly as possible. One of the issues we have particularly focused on has been the restrictions placed on users under the age of 18, that is, minors, and increasing the role of families in these processes."

News Source: İHA