Türkiye's Under-15 Social Media Ban Starts November 1: What Changes?

Türkiye will introduce new social media restrictions for children under 15 on November 1, 2026, requiring covered platforms to verify users' ages and provide stronger privacy protections for teenagers.

The implementing regulation, published in the country's Official Gazette on October 10, prohibits social network providers from offering services to children who have not reached their 15th birthday. Users aged 15 to 17 will remain eligible to use social media under additional safety requirements.

Although the rules take effect on November 1, platforms have until March 31, 2027, to complete age verification for accounts created before the regulation begins. Accounts identified as belonging to children under 15 must be closed under the new requirements.

The measures, prepared by Türkiye's Cyber Security Presidency, address account registration, age verification, privacy settings, personalised advertising, parental controls and procedures for challenging account restrictions.

When does Türkiye's under-15 social media ban begin?

The regulation is scheduled to take effect on November 1, 2026, according to Anadolu Agency's October 10 report on its publication in the Official Gazette.

From that date, social network providers covered by the regulation will be prohibited from offering services to users younger than 15. New account registrations will require age verification, and applications from children below the minimum age must be rejected.

A separate transition period applies to accounts opened before November 1. Platforms must complete at least one age-verification check for those accounts by March 31, 2027.

If verification establishes that an existing account belongs to a child under 15, the provider must inform the user and close the account. The March deadline is the final date for completing checks on existing accounts, not a requirement to delay account closures until then.

How will social media age verification work?

Türkiye's regulation introduces an age-verification token obtained through the government's e-Devlet digital services portal.

The token is designed to confirm whether a user meets the relevant age threshold, including whether they have reached 15 or 18, without providing the social media company with unnecessary identifying information.

Unlike a general identity document, the token is intended to communicate eligibility based on age rather than disclose a person's full identity.

According to Euronews Türkiye's explanation of the regulation, the verification system must protect personal information and meet requirements for reliability, transparency and resistance to manipulation.

Providers may carry out additional verification where necessary. If there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an account is being used outside its verified age category, the platform must suspend access pending further checks.

The regulation establishes requirements for how verification should operate, but its practical effectiveness will depend on implementation by social media providers.

What changes for teenagers aged 15 to 17?

Teenagers aged 15 to 17 will continue to have access to social media, but their accounts must operate under stronger privacy and safety protections.

These accounts must be private by default, without an option to make them publicly accessible. Platforms must also prevent other users from viewing their follower and following lists.

Livestreaming will not be permitted on these accounts, while personalised commercial advertising based on children's behaviour will be prohibited.

Messaging will be restricted so that teenagers can receive messages only from accounts they follow.

The regulation also addresses platform features that encourage prolonged use, including certain continuous-scrolling functions and other potentially addictive design mechanisms.

Social media providers must apply appropriate protections against harmful content and avoid using children's personal data for behavioural profiling and personalised advertising.

These requirements create a separate set of conditions for younger users rather than applying the same account settings and features available to adults.

What parental controls must platforms provide?

Social media providers must introduce accessible parental control tools that allow parents or legal guardians to manage important aspects of a child's account.

These controls will cover account settings, screen-time monitoring and limits, location-sharing permissions, and approval of purchases, paid subscriptions and similar transactions.

Parents will also be able to manage spending permissions for paid services associated with their children's accounts.

In an October 10 statement reported by Anadolu Agency, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş highlighted the government's efforts to strengthen children's safety on digital platforms.

She outlined measures including age verification without unnecessary identity disclosure, private accounts for teenagers, restrictions on livestreaming and behavioural advertising, and greater parental oversight of screen time and paid transactions.

The regulation also requires parental supervision tools to take children's privacy into account rather than allowing unrestricted monitoring of their online activity.

Can users appeal account closures or verification decisions?

Platforms must provide free and accessible procedures for users who want to challenge age-verification results, account suspensions or closures imposed under the new requirements.

Appeals must involve meaningful human review rather than relying entirely on automated decision-making.

While an appeal remains unresolved, providers must preserve relevant account content and personal information.

Where an account is closed and no appeal is filed, the regulation requires the associated data to be deleted without unnecessary delay.

These safeguards are intended to give users a way to challenge incorrect age assessments or restrictions while maintaining the protections established for children.

Why is Türkiye introducing social media restrictions?

Turkish authorities say the measures are intended to reduce children's exposure to harmful online experiences and strengthen the responsibilities of social media companies.

The regulation follows legislation adopted earlier in 2026 and reflects the government's focus on online child safety, digital wellbeing and platform accountability.

Officials have identified harmful content, excessive screen time, intrusive advertising and platform features that encourage prolonged engagement as areas requiring stronger safeguards.

The approach also raises questions about how age restrictions can be enforced without collecting excessive personal information or incorrectly denying access to eligible users.

Although the regulation includes privacy requirements and appeal procedures, the effectiveness of these protections will depend on how platforms apply them in practice.

What does Türkiye's decision mean for other countries?

Türkiye's decision adds to an international discussion about children's access to social media, the responsibilities of technology companies and the role of governments in protecting younger internet users.

Different countries have considered or introduced minimum-age requirements, stronger age-verification procedures and restrictions on advertising or platform features aimed at children.

Supporters of stronger protections argue that children should face fewer risks from harmful content, commercial profiling and online features designed to encourage excessive use.

Privacy advocates have also raised broader concerns about whether age-verification systems can protect personal information, remain accessible and avoid incorrectly restricting legitimate users.

For readers in Pakistan, Türkiye's policy provides an example of how another country is approaching online child safety and platform accountability. It does not represent a change in Pakistani law or establish that Pakistan plans to introduce equivalent restrictions.

What happens next?

Social media providers covered by Türkiye's regulation will need to apply the new age restrictions and protections for younger users when the rules take effect on November 1.

Existing-account verification will continue during the transition period, with completion required by March 31, 2027. Platforms must close accounts identified as belonging to children under 15 while applying the new safeguards to eligible teenage users.

Implementation will provide an opportunity to assess how the age-verification system operates, whether platforms meet the new requirements and how effectively the regulation protects children's safety and privacy.