Turkey passes law banning social media use for under-15s

Turkey’s parliament has passed a law banning social media use for children under 15, requiring platforms to enforce strict age verification measures. The legislation also introduces new regulations for digital and gaming platforms, including mandatory age-based game classification and local representation requirements for major services.

Can Sezer and Ezgi Erkoyun/Reuters

April 24, 2026

Turkey passes law banning social media use for under-15s

A photo of mobile phone showing social media apps, courtesy of Wix.

Julian/Unsplash via Wix

Turkey's parliament late on Wednesday passed legislation that bans the use of social media by people under the age of 15 and introduces new rules for digital platforms, including game software companies. The bill amends the Social Services Law and several other laws.

The law bans social media use by children who have not yet turned 15
Platforms are required to take necessary age verification measures
Game software platforms are brought under the scope of the regulation
Platforms with a high number of users are required to appoint a representative in Turkey
Game platforms must classify games based on users' age criteria

-Can Sezer and Ezgi Erkoyun/Reuters