New regulation signal for games from Minister Göktaş: Children will be protected from digital risks

Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş announced that a new regulation has been prepared for the games. What are the steps to take to protect children from digital risks?

Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, in an exclusive interview with Türkiye Newspaper, drew attention to the negative effects of the digital world on children and announced that a new regulation regarding games is planned to be issued. Minister Göktaş emphasized that social media and gaming platforms cause serious problems in children such as sleep disorders, depression and lack of concentration.

Stating that the time children spend in front of screens in particular has reached uncontrollable levels, the Minister stated that the state is working on legal regulations to create a safer and more controlled digital environment in this regard.

Social Media Use Threatens Child Development

According to Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş's statements, children spend an average of more than 3.5 hours a day on digital platforms. The length of this period disrupts children's daily biological rhythms and also negatively affects their mental development processes.

Stating that children are not aware of their own screen time, Göktaş noted that ignorance about digital footprint poses a great risk.

Stating that families request support from the state when they are unable to protect their children in the digital world, the Minister stated that they both provide digital literacy training and continue social awareness activities in this process.

Building a Secure Digital Ecosystem

The main purpose of the new regulation, which is under preparation, is shown to be to establish a more transparent and auditable structure by disabling the systems in which companies are equipped with unlimited powers. The Ministry is particularly sensitive about data security and prioritizes the protection of children's personal data.

With e-Government integration, it aims to prevent children from logging into game and social media platforms and preventing the platforms from performing data mining. In this way, children will be able to spend time in a safer digital ecosystem.

Game Contents Are Classified According to Age Group

Another important study carried out at the ministry level is the separation of game contents according to age groups. Determining content appropriate to the developmental levels of young people aged 15-18 and protecting this age group is one of the most important pillars of the new regulation.

Court-ordered access blocks imposed on platforms such as Roblox and Discord are considered a harbinger of tighter control of such platforms.

Minister Göktaş stated that the technical details and implementation principles of the new regulation will be shared with the public in a very short time.