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Turkey has published a regulation prepared by the Presidency's Cybersecurity Directorate that sets rules on age verification, dedicated services for children over 15, and parental controls for social network providers. Under the rules, providers will not be allowed to offer services to children under 15.

During age verification, protecting personal data will be paramount, using methods that determine only the age threshold rather than establishing identity. At account creation, users' age will be confirmed through an "age verification token" via the e-Devlet gateway. Accounts of children found to be under 15 will not be approved, while those over 15 will fall under rules for a dedicated children's service. Child accounts will be private by default, with high privacy settings applied automatically. Live streaming and personalized advertising will be prohibited, children will receive messages only from accounts they follow, and other users will not be able to view their follower or following lists. Providers must also offer parental control tools, allowing parents to manage account settings, limit usage time and authorize paid transactions.

The regulation takes effect on November 1. Age verification for existing accounts must be completed by March 31, 2027, and existing accounts belonging to users identified as under 15 will be closed.

Key Takeaways

• Social network providers may not serve users under 15, with age verified through an e-Devlet token.
• Child accounts will be private by default, with no live streaming or personalized ads.
• Existing accounts must be verified by March 31, 2027; under-15 accounts will be closed.