Turkish parliament bans social media for children under 15

Turkish youth with gadgets. Photo: open sources

On April 23, 2026, Turkey’s parliament passed a law restricting access to social media for users under the age of 15, the Associated Press reports.

Under the new law, children under 15 will be prohibited from creating accounts on major platforms. Social media companies will be required to introduce age-verification systems, as well as parental-control tools to regulate access to content.

The law also requires digital companies to respond promptly to harmful content. In emergency cases, platforms must take action within a short period of time or face fines and restrictions from the regulator.

The initiative was proposed by the ruling party of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and became part of a broader policy of tightening control over the online sphere. President Erdoğan is expected to sign the law in the near future, after which it will enter into force.

The legislation was passed against the backdrop of a recent tragedy in Kahramanmaraş, where a teenager carried out a school shooting. Authorities are examining his online activity and considering the possible influence of internet content.

The new measures have drawn criticism from the opposition, which argues that children should be protected not through bans, but through policies grounded in human rights. At the same time, Turkey has joined a number of countries introducing similar restrictions for underage social media users.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Portugal’s parliament had approved a law banning social media for children under 16.

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