Türkiye’s ban on social media accounts for children under 15 has taken effect, along with an age-check system that has users obtain a digital token through e-Devlet, the government’s online services portal. The presidential Cybersecurity Directorate said the regulation entered into force on November 1.
Age verification is now mandatory for new accounts, and existing accounts have until March 31, 2027 to complete it. Users generate the token at turkiye.gov.tr or in the official e-Devlet mobile app and upload it to the platform. The directorate said users’ identity and personal information will not be shared with social networks, which will receive only whether the relevant age thresholds are met.
The regulation, published on October 10, sets those thresholds at 15 and 18. It says the token must not contain names, usernames or other identifying information, and that platforms may not use it for anything other than age verification.
Platforms must reject applications from children under 15. Existing accounts found to belong to them must be closed after notification, with an opportunity to challenge the decision. Users aged 15 to 17 must be offered services with added protections: their accounts must stay private, livestreaming and personalized advertising are prohibited, and direct messages can come only from accounts they follow. Platforms must also provide parental controls over settings, screen time and paid transactions, along with a free appeals process in Turkish that includes human review.
The rules follow amendments to Türkiye’s internet law published on May 1, which gave the social media provisions a six-month transition period. A version of the plan reported in April would have required identity verification through e-Devlet before access to platforms with more than one million daily Turkish users.
Neighboring Greece’s under-15 ban with wallet-based age checks is due to take effect on January 1.
The directorate said details on the technical process, user steps and platform obligations will be shared in stages through its official channels and the platforms themselves. It also warned of fraud attempts around the new requirement, telling users to rely only on turkiye.gov.tr or the official app, to ignore links sent by third parties and never to share e-Devlet passwords, text message codes or card details. Suspicious sites imitating public institutions can be reported to the directorate.
The government says the system protects children without sharing their identities with social media companies. Freedom House has warned that mandatory age checks threaten online privacy in a country where online expression is already heavily restricted. Its Freedom on the Net 2026 report rated Türkiye’s internet “Not Free,” with a score of 31 out of 100.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Turkish Minute, Yeni Şafak
–
By the ID Tech Editorial Team
