Turkey prohibits access to social networks for children under 15

A Turkey has today banned the use of social media to children under 15, joining an increasing number of countries seeking to protect children and adolescents from the dangers of digital platforms.

The official diary published the decision after the approval of the law by the parliament in April.

The measure will enter into force on 1 November, according to the French agency AFP.

Social media providers should “take the necessary technical and administrative measures, including age verification, to apply” the protection of young people, lays down the law.

“No service likely to cause an effect of addition in children can be made available,” also according to the legislation cited by AFP.

The law arises in a period marked by restrictions on freedom of expression in Turkey, affecting LGBT communities, media and political opposition.

In recent weeks, numerous social media accounts have been blocked in the country.

More and more countries worldwide have started, or are considering, banning children from access to social networks.

The aim is to protect them from the risks associated with digital media, such as screen dependency, sleep deprivation, cyberbullying or eating disorders.

The first country where the ban was imposed on children under 16 was Australia, but France and Indonesia followed the same path and the United Kingdom scheduled the entry into force of the restriction for 2027.

In Portugal, as in Spain, Norway, Denmark, Italy and Austria, similar legislation is being prepared or debated.

In the Portuguese case, a bill to restrict the free access of children under 16 to social networks, presented by the PSD, was approved in general in February.

The final text in the specialty should be voted on in October.

European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen announced in September that she will propose a ban on access to social media for children under the age of 13 and personal accounts for young people under the age of 15.