Türkiye social media users must verify their age by March 31, 2027

The deadline applies to existing accounts: those that fail verification through an e-Devlet token will be closed and their data deleted. Authorities warn about fraudulent links sent under the guise of this verification.

RuskiGazeta Editorial DeskOctober 30, 2026, 06:47 PMUpdated: November 01, 2026, 01:51 AM

Türkiye social media users must verify their age by March 31, 2027

A regulation requiring social media platforms in Türkiye to verify users’ ages and provide children with a separate service mode will take effect on November 1, 2026. The document was prepared by the Cybersecurity Directorate under the Presidency of Türkiye and published in the Official Gazette on October 10.

Under the regulation, platforms will not be allowed to provide services to children under 15. Account-opening requests from such users will be rejected. The rules apply to Turkish and foreign services accessible from Türkiye, including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp and Discord.

Age will be verified using a special token issued through the government’s e-Devlet portal. It will contain no name or other personal data, only information indicating whether the user has reached the ages of 15 and 18. The platforms themselves will be responsible for verification.

Девушка со смартфоном

Users aged 15 to 18 will be placed in a protected mode by default. Their profiles cannot be made public, privacy settings will be set to the highest level, and live broadcasts and personalized advertising will be unavailable. Teenagers will be able to receive messages only from accounts they follow.

Parents will receive control tools allowing them to limit usage time, set spending limits and approve paid purchases.

Existing accounts must complete age verification by March 31, 2027. Accounts that do not complete verification or are found to belong to children under 15 will be closed, and their data will be deleted. Platforms that violate the rules face sanctions under Law No. 5651.

The Center for Combating Disinformation under the Communications Directorate of the Presidency of Türkiye warned about fraudulent links sent under the guise of age verification through e-Devlet. Such links sent by SMS, email or message should not be opened.

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