New regulations aimed at protecting children in social media use are reshaping the responsibilities of digital platforms and the conditions under which users can access social networking services. Published in the Official Gazette dated 10 October 2026, the Regulation on the Provision of Age-Segregated Services for Children by Social Network Providers and Age Verification sets out detailed rules concerning the 15-year age limit on social media platforms, age verification systems, account arrangements for children, and parental control tools.

 

The Regulation applies to domestic and foreign social network providers accessible from Türkiye. Accordingly, platforms are required to take the necessary technical and administrative measures to verify children's ages, provide services appropriate to different age groups, and protect children's personal data.

 

When will the new social media regulation enter into force? Will children under the age of 15 be able to create social media accounts? How will age verification be carried out through e-Government (e-Devlet)? Will existing accounts be closed? What are the obligations of parents and social media platforms?

 

In this article, we examine the main provisions of the social media age verification regulation, its implementation process, and its legal implications.

 

1.What Is the 15-Year Age Limit on Social Media?

 

One of the most significant provisions of the Regulation is that social network providers may not provide services to children under the age of 15.

 

Accordingly, requests to create social media accounts must be rejected when age verification establishes that a child has not yet reached the age of 15. This obligation is not merely a recommendation concerning children; it is a binding regulatory requirement for social network providers.

 

Children who have reached the age of 15 but have not yet turned 18 will not be completely excluded from social networking services. Instead, they will be provided with segregated services specifically designed for children, incorporating enhanced security and privacy measures appropriate to their age and developmental level.

 

The new regulation therefore establishes two main age groups:

 

Children under the age of 15: Social network providers may not provide services to these children.

 

Children aged 15 to under 18: These children may use social networking services only within the scope of segregated services specifically designed for children.

 

It is important to note that the Regulation governs the services provided by social network providers. Accordingly, the 15-year age limit should not be interpreted as a general prohibition covering all content on the internet or every type of digital service.

 

2.When Will the Social Media Regulation Enter into Force?

 

The Regulation on the Provision of Age-Segregated Services for Children by Social Network Providers and Age Verification was published in the Official Gazette dated 10 October 2026, issue No. 33396.

 

Pursuant to Article 13 of the Regulation, it will enter into force on 1 November 2026.

 

However, a separate transitional period has been established for accounts created before the effective date that have not been verified using an age verification token. Under Provisional Article 1 of the Regulation, age verification for existing accounts must be completed at least once using an age verification token no later than 31 March 2027.

 

Existing accounts belonging to children found to be under the age of 15 following age verification will be closed after the user has been notified. If the objection mechanism is invoked, the account data will be deleted after the objection process has concluded. If no objection is filed, the data will be deleted without delay.

 

Existing accounts belonging to children who have reached the age of 15 will also become subject to the rules governing segregated services specifically designed for children.

 

It is therefore necessary to distinguish between the date on which the Regulation enters into force and the deadline established for verifying existing accounts.

 

3.How Will Social Media Age Verification Be Carried Out Through e-Government?

 

Article 7 of the Regulation provides for an age verification token generated through the e-Government Gateway (e-Devlet Kapısı) as the basis for the age verification process.

 

The purpose of this system is not to give social media platforms access to all of a user's identity information, but rather to verify whether the user meets the relevant age threshold.

 

The procedure envisaged by the Regulation can be summarised as follows:

 

Generation of the age verification token: The user generates an age verification token through the online service provided by the Cybersecurity Directorate (Siber Güvenlik Başkanlığı) and accessible through the e-Government Gateway.

 

Submission of the token to the social media platform: The user uploads the generated token to the relevant social network provider's platform.

 

Verification of the token: The social network provider confirms that the token was generated through the authorised system and determines the user's age group.

 

Provision of age-appropriate services: If the user is under the age of 15, the request to create an account is rejected. If the user has reached the age of 15 but has not yet turned 18, segregated services specifically designed for children are applied.

 

The age verification token contains only information indicating whether the user has reached the age of 15 and, if so, whether the user has reached the age of 18. The token does not include the username or other information that could enable the user to be identified by third parties.

 

Furthermore, a social network provider may not use the age verification token for any purpose other than age verification.

 

The Regulation also contains a specific provision for users who are not resident in Türkiye but are temporarily present in the country. Upon application, these users may access the services through an exceptional age verification token generated using only passport information.

 

4.What Restrictions Apply to Social Media Accounts of Children Aged 15 to Under 18?

 

Article 8 of the Regulation imposes various obligations concerning security, privacy, content presentation, communication, and advertising practices in social networking services provided to children who have reached the age of 15.

 

The primary objective of these provisions is to ensure children's safety in the digital environment and reduce risks that could adversely affect their development.

 

Accounts Must Be Private by Default

 

Accounts belonging to children who have reached the age of 15 must be private by default. The option to make these accounts publicly accessible may not be offered.

 

In addition, information about the accounts followed by a child and the accounts following the child must be designed so that it cannot be viewed by users other than the child who owns the account.

 

Infinite Scrolling and Continuous Content Feeds Are Prohibited

 

Interfaces, designs, or functions that enable visual content to be presented continuously, whether automatically or through scrolling, touching, clicking, or similar actions, may not be used in children's accounts.

 

This rule is not limited to mobile applications; it also applies to websites and other interfaces through which the service is provided.

 

Messaging Capabilities Must Be Restricted

 

Only accounts followed by the child may send messages to the child's account. Read receipts may not be displayed in messages.

 

Accounts May Not Be Synchronized with Contact Lists on Other Platforms

 

Social network providers may not synchronize children's accounts with phone contacts, email address books, or contact, friend, or follower lists in other applications for the purpose of establishing communication.

 

The ability to search for, find, or recommend a child's account using third parties' contact information is also restricted.

 

Technical Measures Must Be Taken Against Screenshots

 

Social network providers are required to take the necessary technical measures to prevent others from taking screenshots of children's profile photographs, accounts, posts, and images.

 

Live Streaming Is Prohibited

 

Accounts belonging to children who have reached the age of 15 may not include a live-streaming feature.

 

Behavioural Personalisation and Personalised Commercial Advertising Are Restricted

 

Children's accounts may not be personalised based on children's behaviour. Children's personal data may not be used for profiling or personalised commercial advertising activities.

 

These obligations require social network providers to reassess their content recommendation systems, advertising models, account visibility settings, and data processing practices concerning child users.

 

5.Social Media Platforms' Obligations Regarding Personal Data Protection

 

The Regulation recognises personal data protection as one of the fundamental principles governing the age verification process.

 

Age verification systems must be designed to determine whether the relevant age threshold has been met, rather than to establish every detail of a user's identity. In addition, the verification token must not be used for purposes other than age verification.

 

For services provided to children who have reached the age of 15, high-level privacy settings must be applied by default, and personal data must be processed to the minimum extent necessary.

 

The Regulation also envisages that platforms must present contracts, user settings, and data policies relating to children in a manner that children can understand. Furthermore, content filtering and recommendation system settings must be implemented to reduce children's exposure to content that could harm their development.

 

In light of these obligations, social network providers should review not only their age verification infrastructure but also their data processing procedures and user interfaces.

 

6.Can an Objection Be Filed if a Social Media Account Is Closed?

 

Yes. Article 10 of the Regulation provides for application and objection mechanisms concerning age verification results, account suspension or closure, and measures implemented within the scope of segregated services specifically designed for children.

 

Social network providers must establish an accessible, free-of-charge application and objection mechanism that offers a Turkish-language option and enables applications to be received and resolved promptly.

 

The following safeguards are particularly important during the objection process:

 

Applications may not be reviewed exclusively through fully automated systems; meaningful human review must be carried out.

 

The content and personal data associated with an account must not be deleted until the application or objection has been resolved.

 

Notifications communicating the outcome must indicate that a complaint may be submitted to the Cybersecurity Directorate and that judicial remedies may be pursued.

 

Social network providers must annually report to the Directorate, and publish on their websites, data concerning the number of applications and objections, acceptance rates, and average resolution times.

 

Accordingly, claims that an age assessment was incorrect, that an account was wrongfully suspended, or that a measure applied under the child-specific service framework was unlawful may be considered within the application and objection mechanism established by the Regulation.

 

In any specific dispute, the available remedies must be examined separately in light of the nature of the relevant action and the applicable legal circumstances.

 

7.What Sanctions May Apply to Social Media Platforms That Fail to Comply with the Regulation?

 

Article 11 of the Regulation refers to the relevant provisions of Additional Article 4 of Law No. 5651 on the Regulation of Publications on the Internet and the Prevention of Crimes Committed Through Such Publications.

 

The relevant provisions of that Law govern the imposition, notification, challenge, and removal of sanctions.

 

Under the Regulation, the social network provider must be notified of the non-compliance before a sanction is imposed and must be granted a reasonable period to remedy the breach, depending on its nature.

 

When assessing sanctions, it is important to consider not only whether an obligation has been breached but also the scope and circumstances of the breach. The type and extent of any applicable sanction must be assessed separately under the relevant provisions of Law No. 5651.

 

8.How Will the Social Media Regulation Affect Families and Digital Platform Businesses?

 

The new regulation does more than establish an age limit for children's social media use. It also affects the technical infrastructure, personal data processing procedures, advertising practices, and user safety policies of digital platforms.

 

For families: More comprehensive control mechanisms are envisaged concerning children's account privacy settings, communication capabilities, screen time, and paid transactions. However, it is also important to ensure that parental control does not disproportionately interfere with a child's privacy.

 

For social network providers: Technical and administrative obligations arise, including the establishment of age verification infrastructure, the provision of segregated services specifically designed for children, the protection of personal data, and the creation of application and objection mechanisms.

 

For advertising and digital marketing activities: The prohibition on behavioural personalisation and personalised commercial advertising in children's accounts requires platforms to reassess their advertising targeting and data analysis processes.

 

For legal compliance: Social network providers must ensure that their user agreements, privacy policies, parental control tools, and age verification procedures comply with the provisions of the Regulation.

 

In this context, businesses providing digital services should treat regulatory compliance not merely as a technical exercise but also as an integral part of their legal risk management strategy.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About the Social Media Age Verification Regulation

 

Can children under the age of 15 create social media accounts?

 

Under the Regulation, social network providers may not provide services to children who have not reached the age of 15. Requests to create accounts must be rejected when age verification establishes that a child belongs to this age group.

 

Can children who have reached the age of 15 use social media?

 

Yes. However, children who have reached the age of 15 but have not yet turned 18 must be provided with segregated services specifically designed for children, as stipulated in Article 8 of the Regulation.

 

Will social media age verification be carried out through e-Government?

 

The Regulation provides for the age verification token to be generated through the e-Government Gateway and uploaded by the user to the relevant social network provider.

 

Does the age verification token contain all identity information?

 

No. The token contains information indicating whether the user has reached the age of 15 and, if so, whether the user has reached the age of 18. The username and other information that could enable the user to be identified by third parties are not included in the token.

 

By what date must existing social media accounts undergo age verification?

 

Pursuant to Provisional Article 1 of the Regulation, existing accounts created before the effective date that have not been verified using an age verification token must undergo verification at least once no later than 31 March 2027.

 

What will happen to existing accounts identified as belonging to children under the age of 15?

 

These accounts will be closed after the user has been notified. The deletion of account data will depend on whether the objection process specified in the Regulation is initiated.

 

What can be done if a social media account is closed because of an incorrect age assessment?

 

The Regulation requires the establishment of a free-of-charge, accessible, Turkish-language application and objection mechanism for challenges to age verification results and account suspension or closure decisions. Depending on the circumstances, it is also possible to submit a complaint to the Cybersecurity Directorate and pursue judicial remedies.

 

When will the new obligations for social network providers take effect?

 

The Regulation will enter into force on 1 November 2026. A transitional period until 31 March 2027 has been established for age verification of existing accounts.

 

Conclusion

 

The Regulation on the Provision of Age-Segregated Services for Children by Social Network Providers and Age Verification introduces significant obligations concerning access to social networking services in Türkiye, the protection of children in the digital environment, age verification, and the processing of personal data.

 

The principal elements of the Regulation include the prohibition on providing services to children under the age of 15, the provision of services specifically designed for children aged 15 to under 18, the use of age verification tokens, the establishment of parental control tools, and the creation of effective objection mechanisms.

 

In particular, social network providers and digital service businesses should carefully assess the provisions of the Regulation, plan their technical and administrative compliance processes in a timely manner, and identify potential legal risks in advance.