Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has submitted a draft bill to parliament that would ban children under the age of 15 from accessing social media platforms, according to reporting citing the proposed legislation.
The proposal would require social media companies operating in Turkey to implement age verification systems designed to prevent younger users from creating or accessing accounts. Platforms would also need to provide parental control tools aimed at improving online safety for children.
Under the draft law, users aged 15 and older would be offered separate online services intended to provide a safer environment for teenagers. The legislation also introduces obligations related to content moderation, including requirements for platforms to remove harmful content within one hour in emergencies.
Companies that fail to comply with the new rules could face penalties. The bill proposes fines of up to 3% of a company’s global revenue or possible restrictions on bandwidth for platforms that do not follow the requirements.
The proposal was introduced by Leyla Sahin Usta, deputy head of the AK Party’s parliamentary group. According to Usta, social media platforms and online gaming services would be given six months to meet the new obligations if the legislation is adopted.
The draft bill also includes provisions affecting foreign game distributors. Under the proposal, online games distributed in Turkey would be required to implement age rating systems that classify content according to the age of players.
Turkey already maintains strict oversight of online platforms. Authorities frequently require companies to remove content and block access to websites or posts that violate local regulations. According to a report by internet censorship watchdog IFOD, the country currently blocks access to around 1.2 million webpages and social media posts.
If approved by parliament, the proposed legislation would introduce one of the most restrictive age-based access rules for social media in the country. The draft measure reflects broader regulatory discussions in multiple countries about how online platforms should address children’s use of digital services and social networks.