A new regulation published in Turkey's Official Gazette, prepared by the Presidential Cybersecurity Directorate, prohibits social media platforms from providing services to children under the age of 15. The measure, which the Directorate supports, sets out a nationwide shift in how digital platforms treat young users. Its publication marked the start of a formal process that will reshape access to social media for children and teens.
From the moment the rule takes effect, children under the age of fifteen will no longer be allowed to open or use any social media account. The regulation explicitly prohibits platforms from providing services to this age group, and it declares that it will be illegal for anyone under fifteen to have a social media presence. This blanket ban applies to all existing and future accounts held by users in that bracket.
To enforce the line at fifteen, the rule mandates that users aged fifteen but under eighteen must prove their age through the state‑run e‑Devlet portal. Users aged fifteen but still under eighteen will obtain a special token from the portal that confirms they have passed the fifteenth birthday but have not yet turned eighteen. The token is issued by a technical tool accessible via e‑Devlet and contains only the age‑threshold information, a username or other identifier—no further personal data.
From that date, any attempt by a user under fifteen to maintain a social media account will be unlawful.
When a platform receives a token, it is required to verify that the token was indeed issued by the Presidential Cybersecurity Directorate and to use it solely for the purpose of age verification. The regulation stresses that identity checks are replaced by this age‑threshold determination, reinforcing personal‑data protection. Platforms may not retain or repurpose any information contained in the token beyond confirming whether the user is under fifteen or in the fifteen‑to‑eighteen band.
Users who have cleared the fifteen‑year threshold but are still under eighteen will receive accounts that are configured with heightened safeguards by default. Their privacy settings will start at the highest level, and they will be subject to a suite of restrictions aimed at protecting their physical, mental, psychological, social and emotional development. These include limits on live streaming, the removal of infinite‑scroll features, tighter controls on direct messaging, and adjustments to content‑recommendation algorithms. Parents will also gain enhanced oversight tools over these accounts.
The regulation becomes legally binding on 1 November 2026. From that date, any attempt by a user under fifteen to maintain a social media account will be unlawful. Existing accounts held by users in the fifteen‑to‑eighteen range must complete the e‑Devlet age‑verification process by 31 March 2027. After that deadline, platforms will be expected to have verified the age of every active user in that band, ensuring that only those who have passed the fifteenth birthday retain access.
Officials describe the rule as the beginning of a comprehensive change period for digital platforms’ services aimed at children. By setting a firm age floor and imposing differentiated responsibilities on the fifteen‑to‑eighteen cohort, the regulation seeks to reshape how platforms handle parental control mechanisms, privacy defaults, messaging limits, and algorithmic curation. The Presidential Cybersecurity Directorate, which drafted the text, frames the move as a protective step for younger users‑well‑being.
As the rule’s effective date approaches, social media platforms in Turkey will need to implement the e‑Devlet verification system to comply with the new regulation. The platforms will need to verify the age of users through the official token system and ensure that accounts for 15‑ to 18‑year‑olds have the required privacy settings and restrictions in place. The coming months will show how this technical shift translates into everyday experience for Turkish teens and their families.