Lawmakers in Turkey have passed legislation restricting access to social media platforms for children under 15, according to Associated Press.
The bill, approved late Wednesday, requires platforms to introduce age verification systems, parental controls and faster responses to harmful content. It now awaits approval from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has 15 days to sign it into law.
The move follows a school shooting in Kahramanmaras last week, where a 14-year-old killed nine students and a teacher. Authorities are investigating the suspect’s online activity as part of the probe.
Speaking earlier, Erdogan said stronger safeguards were needed to protect children online. “We are living in a period where some digital sharing applications are corrupting our children’s minds and social media platforms have, to put it bluntly, become cesspools,” he said in a televised address.
Under the proposed law, platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram would be required to block account creation for children under 15 and introduce tools to manage access.
Online gaming companies would also need to appoint local representatives to comply with the rules. Penalties for non-compliance include fines and bandwidth restrictions imposed by regulators.
The main opposition Republican People's Party criticised the bill, saying children should be protected “not with bans but with rights-based policies.”
Turkey has previously restricted online platforms during periods of political unrest, including protests supporting jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
The legislation reflects a broader global trend. Australia and Indonesia have recently introduced similar measures, while countries including Spain, France and the United Kingdom are considering restrictions amid concerns about online harms to children