Türkiye has published a new regulation requiring social-network providers accessible from the country to verify age and to stop offering service to children under 15. Users aged 15–17 are not banned, but must receive a differentiated child service with stricter privacy, messaging, recommendation and design safeguards. The regulation enters into force on 1 November 2026; accounts opened earlier must go through age verification at least once by 31 March 2027. This is a platform rule, not a blanket ban on children using the internet or ordinary messaging and education services outside the regulation's scope.
Who is covered and when the rule starts
The regulation applies to domestic and foreign social-network providers whose services can be accessed from Türkiye, as well as their users. It is based on Law No. 5651 and enters into force on 1 November 2026. Providers must not offer a social-network service to a child verified as under 15. A user who has turned 15 but is still under 18 must be placed in a child-specific service rather than the ordinary adult experience.
How the e-Devlet age token is designed
Age verification is to be performed through the e-Devlet Gateway. At the user's request, the Cyber Security Presidency's service creates a token that states only whether the person is at least 15 and, if so, whether they are at least 18. The regulation says the token must not contain the user's age or other identifying information. The user uploads it to the platform, which checks with e-Devlet that the token was created there. Providers may not use it for another purpose.
What happens to new and existing accounts
For a new account, the provider must verify age before continuing service: an application identified as under 15 is rejected, while a 15–17 account enters the protected child mode. Accounts opened before the regulation takes effect must be checked at least once by 31 March 2027. Existing under-15 accounts are to be closed after the user is informed; data are deleted after the objection process or, if there is an objection, after it concludes. Existing 15–17 accounts must be adapted to the child-specific service.
Protections required for 15–17-year-olds
Child accounts must be private by default and must not appear in external search-engine results. Only accounts followed by the child may send messages; providers must prevent downloading, touching or tapping visual content from triggering interface changes or similar behavioural prompts. Live broadcasting must not be available. Personal data may be processed only as strictly necessary to provide the service, and behavioural profiling or commercial advertising based on the child's data is prohibited.
Parental controls and a right to appeal
Providers must offer clear parental-control tools covering account settings, purchases and recurring payments, screen-time monitoring and limits. The regulation says these controls must not become a surveillance tool that removes the child's reasonable privacy. A free Turkish-language appeal mechanism is required for age results, suspension, closure and protective measures; appeals may not be decided entirely by automated systems and account content must not be deleted before the appeal is resolved.
Practical steps for international families
Parents should wait for the platform's official verification prompt and use only turkiye.gov.tr, not links sent by unofficial accounts. The regulation also requires an exceptional process for people residing in Türkiye who cannot use e-Devlet; implementation guidance from the Cyber Security Presidency will matter for those families. Do not send passports or residence cards to an unverified message. Keep the platform's notice and use its appeal channel if a teenager's age is classified incorrectly.