A new regulation concerning children under the age of 15 on social media platforms has entered into force. The regulation, published in the October 10, 2026, issue of the Official Gazette, establishes the principles for the implementation of the legislation previously passed by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM).
According to the regulation, Turkish citizens who have not reached the age of 15 will not be able to open, use, or manage social media accounts. The regulation was prepared based on the relevant provisions of the additional 4th article of Law No. 5651.
The age verification process is intended to be conducted through e-Devlet integration. In this context, instead of transferring detailed personal data to the platforms, only information regarding whether the user has reached the ages of 15 and 18 will be provided.
The regulation, published with the signature of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, also includes more comprehensive oversight mechanisms for parents and guardians. It was stated that child accounts, which children may use on certain platforms under parental or guardian supervision, will be defined as private accounts in an unchangeable manner.
With the new implementation, social media companies are expected to bring their age verification processes into compliance with the legislation and to regulate security settings regarding child accounts.
News Source: 12punto
