Turkey to Tighten Grip on Social Media Platforms Amid Child Data Concerns

Alanbatnews -

Turkey is poised to introduce stricter regulations on social media platforms, initiating investigations into how major companies handle children's data. The move comes as Ankara prepares to roll out new laws aimed at governing social media use, raising concerns among rights advocates about online freedom of expression.

The Turkish data protection authority has launched probes into six major social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, and Discord, focusing on their data storage, protection mechanisms, and security policies concerning children, according to reports.

The impending regulations, dubbed the "Family Package," mandate social media companies to verify user identities and ages through direct phone contact or direct linkage with government platforms.

A legal researcher from the Turkish Freedom of Expression Association, has warned that reliance on user identification mechanisms could directly impact freedom of expression in Turkey, describing it as a "radical restriction" of internet freedom.

The proposed laws also seek to bar users under the age of 15 from accessing social media platforms and opening personal accounts, with expectations that similar restrictions may extend to users under 18.

The new regulations also introduce a mechanism for immediate removal of offending content from social media platforms upon discovery, aiming to expedite communication between the government and platform owners.

Failure to comply with these regulations could expose companies to a range of penalties, including reductions in internet bandwidth allocated to social media platforms, potentially undermining user access.

These measures follow a global trend of increased scrutiny and regulation of social media platforms, with Australia having previously implemented similar restrictions on children's access.