Turkey bans social media use for children under 15

Under new rules published on Saturday in Turkey, children under 15 are prohibited from using social media. The rules ban companies from providing services to children below that age.

Social media companies must create separate services with additional safeguards for teenagers aged 15 to 17. These users’ accounts must be private, and their followers and the people they follow must not be visible to others.

The rules also prohibit contact syncing, autoplaying videos and infinite scrolling. Taking screenshots must also be blocked.

The new regulations were drawn up after Turkey’s parliament passed a law in April. Social media users will have to verify their ages through the Turkish government’s online portal. The deadline for existing unverified accounts to register is March 31, 2027.

Turkey’s Minister of Family and Social Services, Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, called publication of the rules a “new stage” in the government’s efforts to ensure children’s online safety. In a statement posted on the X platform on Saturday, she said platforms would be required to introduce filters against harmful content and protective recommendation systems, and that fines would apply for failing to meet the obligations.

In December 2025, Australia became the first country in the world to ban children under 16 from using social media. Since then, Azerbaijan, Canada, Kazakhstan, Malaysia and New Zealand have also introduced legislative measures to restrict children’s access to social media.