Turkey is already taking steps to set a minimum age limit of 15 years for minors to access social networks, according to the country’s Minister of Family and Social Services, Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, who spoke to parliament a few days ago about the model that the Turkish government wants to follow in line with what other countries such as Australia are already doing.
As of 10 December 2025, Australia will completely ban access to social networks for children under 16: they will not be able to open new accounts, existing ones will be closed and platforms will be obliged to introduce age verification systems. This decision reopens the global debate on what kind of space digital platforms should be for children, and has led more and more countries to consider limiting minors’ access to this type of platforms, which is very common especially through mobile devices.
Although Australia has been the pioneer in imposing a measure of this type, opening a worldwide debate, the truth is that the limit of 16 years set by the Oceanian country is not an international standard: some countries are considering limits for children under 13, and others are talking about setting the barrier at 14 or 15 years of age. Türkiye, for its part, is preparing its own model adapted to the country’s social structure and the digital habits of minors.
“Teenagers are more vulnerable to harmful content“
In this regard, Professor Zafer İçer, deputy dean of the Faculty of Law at Istanbul Marmara University, explained the background of the debate to TRTHaber: “The age is raised to 16 because teenagers are more vulnerable to harmful content. However, there is no universal criterion; different countries have different practices,” he said.
Speaking to the Turkish parliament’s committee on digital platforms, the Turkish Minister of Family and Social Services said that Ankara is studying the most advanced child protection frameworks, taking as a reference those applied in countries such as the UK and Australia.
The ministry led by Göktaş plans to adopt strong measures to reduce the risks of the digital environment for minors, and the new regulation will require platforms operating in Turkey to immediately remove any content that is violent, abusive, illegal or harmful to minors, without having to wait for a court order.
The Turkish model: self-regulation of the digital platforms themselves
In any case, the reorganisation of digital safety policies in Turkey seems to seek a protective, not prohibitive, model, giving social platforms greater responsibilities, while the protection of minors’ personal data will be backed by strict regulation. While there is no final text yet on the new law Turkey is preparing to protect minors from the risks of social media, Turkish media reports that the draft already being worked on by the ministry includes the following points:
- Children under the age of 15 will not be allowed to open accounts on social networks.
- Mandatory age verification technologies will be imposed on social platforms.
- Platforms will have to submit regular risk reports on potentially harmful content.
- Parental control tools should be accessible and effective.
The Ministry of Family and Social Services seeks to make the system for removing harmful content work through a model of rapid self-regulation of the digital platforms themselves, allowing immediate action to be taken in case of any risk to minors.
However, Professor İçer believes that the solution is not only to limit access to minors, but to transform the digital infrastructure itself by making it safer for them: “Instead of age restrictions, other methods such as child-friendly algorithms, reinforced filters or allowing limited use of social networks can also achieve the same goal. A ban is only one option. Priority should be given to measures such as increasing digital literacy, improving parental education and strengthening counselling services. Even if a ban becomes a reality, the key is how it is implemented.”
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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