Türkiye has begun enforcing restrictions prohibiting children under the age of 15 from accessing social media accounts, introducing mandatory age verification and additional protections for teenage users.
The regulation, published in the country’s Official Gazette on October 10, entered into force on November 1, following legislation approved by the Turkish parliament in April.
Under the new rules, social media platforms are prohibited from providing services to children who have not reached the age of 15. Platforms must reject new registration requests from underage users and close existing accounts once they are identified as belonging to children below the minimum age.
The restrictions apply to domestic and foreign social networking providers operating in Türkiye.
Age verification through government digital services
A central feature of the new regulation is a mandatory age-verification system connected to Türkiye’s e-Devlet government services portal.
Users registering for social media accounts must verify their ages through a digital token generated by the government system. The token confirms whether a user meets the required age threshold without providing platforms with identifying information such as their name or national identification number.
Platforms must also introduce measures to identify users attempting to bypass the restrictions and verify accounts when there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the declared age is incorrect.
Existing accounts opened before the regulation entered into force have until March 31, 2027, to complete age verification. Accounts confirmed to belong to children under 15 will subsequently be closed.
Additional restrictions for teenagers
The regulation also introduces separate requirements for users aged 15 to 17, who will remain eligible to use social media but under stricter conditions.
Teenagers’ accounts must remain private by default, with no option to make them publicly accessible. Other users will not be able to view their followers or following lists, while direct messages will be restricted to accounts they already follow.
Social media platforms will also be prohibited from providing livestreaming features and personalised advertising to users in this age group.
Features designed to encourage prolonged screen use, including infinite scrolling and autoplay, will also be restricted.
Platforms must additionally provide parental control tools allowing parents or guardians to manage account settings, monitor and limit screen time, control location-sharing features and approve paid transactions.
Users whose accounts are mistakenly suspended or closed will be able to challenge the decisions through free and accessible appeals mechanisms. Such appeals must include meaningful human review rather than relying entirely on automated systems.
Malaysia, Britain, UAE and Sri Lanka move on similar restrictions
Türkiye’s implementation comes as several other countries have introduced or advanced measures restricting children’s access to social media.
Malaysia began enforcing age-verification requirements on June 1, prohibiting children under 16 from opening social media accounts. The requirements apply to major platforms, with users required to verify their ages through official identification documents such as national identity cards, passports or MyDigital ID.
The rules also cover existing accounts, which must undergo age verification to establish whether their users meet the minimum age requirement.
Britain has also moved towards implementing its announced under-16 social media ban. The government expects the restrictions to take effect in spring 2027, with the first regulations scheduled to be introduced before the end of this year.
On October 29, Britain’s communications regulator, Ofcom, identified four age-verification methods considered capable of reliably establishing whether users are at least 16. These include photographic identification, digital identity services, banking-based checks and facial age estimation.
The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, approved a resolution setting 15 as the minimum age for personal social media accounts. Children aged 15 to under 16 will be permitted to use the platforms with additional safeguards, while companies have been given a transition period of up to 12 months to comply with the requirements.
Sri Lanka is also considering restrictions on social media access for children under 16. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya confirmed in July that the government was examining the proposal and developing a policy framework focused on children’s safety in the digital environment.
In September, Sri Lankan MP Faiszer Musthapha urged Parliament to expedite the proposed legislation, revealing that he had submitted a private member’s bill that was undergoing legal drafting.
Maldives among countries considering an under-16 ban
The Maldives is also among the countries seeking to introduce age-based restrictions on children’s social media use.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu announced on June 1 that the government had decided to restrict access to certain social media platforms for children under 16, citing concerns over online grooming, cyberbullying and exposure to harmful content.
The President said the government would work on the necessary legislative amendments and engage with international technology companies to facilitate implementation, using Australia’s approach as a reference.
The President’s Office stated that full implementation would follow within a maximum period of one year.
However, as of November 2, the government has yet to publicly confirm a final implementation date, list of affected platforms or detailed age-verification arrangements.
Growing international movement
Beyond these countries, Australia became the first country to implement a nationwide social media minimum-age ban, with its restrictions taking effect in December 2025 for children under 16.
Indonesia followed on March 28, 2026, beginning the implementation of restrictions on children under 16 across major digital platforms, including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, X and Roblox.
Gabon also introduced legislation prohibiting children under 16 from creating accounts on social networks and online communication platforms through an ordinance published in April.
Greece has approved legislation prohibiting children under 15 from accessing social media, with implementation scheduled to begin on January 1, 2027.
Several other countries are preparing similar measures. Canada has introduced the Safe Social Media Act, which proposes restricting access for children under 16 and was referred to parliamentary committee on October 29. New Zealand introduced legislation in August proposing a minimum age of 16 for certain online platforms.
Denmark is preparing legislation establishing a minimum age of 15, with implementation proposed for July 2027, while Norway plans to introduce a bill establishing a minimum age of 16 before the end of this year.
Spain, Germany, Sweden and Poland are also among the countries examining or preparing age-based restrictions on children’s access to social media.
The growing number of initiatives reflects an international shift towards greater regulation of children’s digital activities, with governments increasingly placing responsibility on social media companies to verify users’ ages and provide safer online environments.
