Turkey has formally announced a ban on social media use by children under 15, with the restrictions set to take effect on November 1. The decision was published in the official state journal on Saturday, October 10, following the passage of a law by parliament in April.

Under the legislation, social media providers must introduce safeguards to protect young users, including age-verification measures. The law requires platforms to take the necessary technical and administrative steps, including age verification, and states that no service likely to produce an addictive effect in children may be offered.

Turkey joins a global trend

The move comes amid growing international efforts to limit children’s exposure to potentially harmful online content and platform features. Australia has introduced restrictions on social media use by children, while Britain and France are among the countries pushing for similar measures.

Governments backing such restrictions have cited concerns over screen addiction, sleep deprivation, online bullying and eating disorders among young people.

A broad law, tricky to enforce

The law’s broad language — banning any service “likely to produce an addictive effect in children” — leaves significant discretion to regulators and platforms. Technology companies will need to design age-gating systems that comply without blocking legitimate access, a challenge other countries have also struggled with. Australia’s rollout has forced platforms to rethink onboarding flows for millions of young users, and Turkey’s regulators are expected to issue detailed implementation guidance in the weeks before the November deadline.

For families, the change could reshape how children interact online. Supporters argue the limits give parents legal backing to delay social media use, while researchers studying adolescent mental health say restrictions work best when paired with digital literacy education rather than acting as a standalone fix.

Rights concerns

The new restrictions arrive amid concerns raised by rights groups over freedom of expression in Turkey, particularly regarding LGBTQ communities, the media and the political opposition. Critics will be watching how the age-verification and content rules are enforced in practice.