The Turkish Parliament has restricted access to social media for children under 15 — AP
On Wednesday, the Turkish Parliament passed a controversial bill banning children under the age of 15 from using social media.
This was reported by the Associated Press.
The decision was passed under an expedited procedure in response to a recent deadly shooting at one of the country’s middle schools.
The tragedy that sparked the changes occurred a week ago in the city of Kahramanmaraş, where a 14-year-old teenager killed nine classmates and a teacher.
Investigators are currently examining the attacker’s digital activity, attempting to determine the impact of harmful content on his mental state and the motives behind the crime.
Under the new law, platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are required to implement robust age verification systems.
In addition to a complete ban on creating accounts for younger teenagers, companies must provide parents with enhanced tools to monitor their children’s online activities.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is expected to sign the bill within 15 days, has sharply criticized the modern digital environment.
He emphasized that the state is obligated to intervene to protect the privacy and moral well-being of the younger generation.
“We are living in a time when some digital content-sharing apps are corrupting our children’s minds, and social media, frankly speaking, has turned into a cesspool,” the Turkish leader said in a televised address.
He emphasized that digital security is now a matter of national importance.
The new rules will also apply to online game developers, who will be required to appoint official representatives in Turkey to monitor compliance with the regulations.
IT giants face massive fines or blocking for ignoring requirements to promptly remove harmful content.
Turkey is ready to host direct talks between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia
Turkey is preparing for a possible escalation between Iran and the U.S. and is assessing all scenarios
