Türkiye’s New Regulations to Target Social Media and Gaming
social-media
Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş has announced a comprehensive legal framework to shield children from the risks posed by social media and digital gaming. Speaking at the Anadolu Agency Editor’s Desk, Göktaş emphasized that children will no longer be left to the “mercy of algorithms” and big tech corporations, and outlined a roadmap to be fully implemented within the next six months.
Digital Safety: The 15-Under Regulation
The upcoming regulation introduces strict oversight for social media and gaming platforms, focusing on identity verification and representative accountability.
Key Pillars of the New Regulation:
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Age Verification via e-Government: A robust age verification system will be integrated with e-Devlet (e-Government) credentials to ensure children under 15 are restricted from age-inappropriate content.
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Gaming Platform Oversight: For the first time, gaming platforms with over 100,000 users will be legally required to appoint a representative in Türkiye.
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Rapid Content Removal: Platforms must remove inappropriate or harmful content within one hour of a report.
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Sanctions for Non-Compliance: Penalties for non-compliant gaming platforms include administrative fines of 1–10 million TL, followed by bandwidth throttling of up to 90% if violations persist. For social network providers, fines can reach 3% of their global turnover.
Demographic Shift: Protecting the “Family Fortress”
Minister Göktaş also addressed the sharp decline in Türkiye’s fertility rate, which has fallen to 1.48, well below the replacement level of 2.1. To combat this “aging” trend and support working parents, several major social policies have been enacted:
| Policy Area | Action Taken / New Regulation |
| Maternity Leave | Increased from 16 weeks to 24 weeks. |
| Paternity Leave | Increased from 5 days to 10 days for laborers, equalizing with civil servants. |
| Child Support | One-time payment of 5,000 TL for the first child; ongoing monthly support for subsequent children until age 5. |
| Flexible Work | Part-time work options for parents until the child is 6 years old. |
| Marriage Loans | Interest-free loans for young couples have already been utilized by 200,000 citizens. |
Proactive Social Defense: “Social Risk Maps”
To prevent violence and neglect before they occur, the Ministry has completed 14 different social risk maps across the country. Using a database of 648 indicators, the Ministry identifies households at risk for addiction, crime, or violence.
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“Children are Safe” App: A new mobile application allows children and families to report peer bullying, abuse, or inappropriate digital content directly to experts.
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Success Stories in Media: The Minister called on television and digital producers to prioritize “family-friendly” content, offering the Ministry’s own success stories as inspiration for scripts that avoid normalizing violence or illegitimate relationships.
The Minister concluded by stating that while technology is an integral part of modern life, the state’s responsibility is to ensure that the digital environment is a “safe harbor” rather than a source of addiction or danger.
Source: bigpara
