Rules are becoming clear: Statement from Minister Göktaş regarding social media regulation

Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş made statements to journalists following the Cabinet Meeting held at the Palace.

MESSAGE REGARDING REGULATION FOR THOSE UNDER 15

When asked about the regulation regarding social media use for children under 15, Göktaş reminded that similar practices are on the agenda globally and that every country is conducting its own studies, stating, "Especially after examining Australia's report, we made all the necessary assessments and, by addressing the gaps, developed a model specific to our country."

Emphasizing that the law, which includes regulations for social media, will create safe digital spaces for children under 15 and encourage controlled use, Göktaş stated that they aim to prevent children from being exposed to content inappropriate for their age and development.

"THE REGULATION WILL BE IMPLEMENTED WITHIN 6 MONTHS"

Minister Göktaş noted the following:

"We have established a working group within our Ministry to determine the principles for the implementation of the regulation on social media use, and we are conducting the process in full coordination with relevant institutions and organizations. In this working group, which we will carry out together with public institutions and other stakeholders, we will determine the principles for social media use by children under 15 in a short time and implement the relevant regulation within 6 months. Once this regulation we are working on is completed, the new social media regulation will effectively come into force throughout Turkey."

AGE VERIFICATION SYSTEM TO BE ACTIVATED

Emphasizing that the new era for social media use will not be limited to a legal regulation, Göktaş stated that technical infrastructure and implementation mechanisms are also being prepared comprehensively. Noting that they will implement age verification systems, primarily through e-Devlet and other verification methods, as a basis for the obligations imposed on social network providers by the law, Göktaş stated that this system will be established under the coordination of the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) and the Presidency of Cyber Security.