The e-Government age verification period on social media begins on November 1, 2026. After this date, age verification becomes mandatory for new social media accounts to be opened, and existing accounts are given until March 31, 2027. In its official statement regarding the application, the Presidency's Cyber Security Directorate announced that verification will be made only through e-Government and personal information will not be shared with platforms.
The statement is related to the Regulation on the Provision of Unbundled Services for Children and Age Verification by Social Network Providers. The Regulation was published in the Official Gazette dated October 10, 2026 and comes into force as of November 1, 2026. The basis of the regulation is Law No. 7578, which prohibits the provision of social networking services to children under the age of 15.
What's Changing in Social Media on November 1?
The essence of the new era is based on two items. Children under the age of 15 will be prevented from accessing social network services. Young people between the ages of 15 and 18 will receive services in a safer environment appropriate to their age and development level.
In this context, three basic obligations are imposed on social network providers:
To provide differentiated services specific to children,
Implementing high privacy and security standards,
Introducing parental control tools.
With these tools, parents will be able to control their children's account settings, limit usage time, and approve paid transactions.
Who is Affected?
The regulation covers all local and foreign social network providers accessible from Turkey and everyone who uses these platforms. So not only children, but also adult users will have to verify their age.
Those who will open new accounts: Age verification is mandatory when opening an account as of November 1, 2026.
Existing users: Will be able to complete verification by March 31, 2027.
Those under the age of 15: Will not be able to open a new account. As a result of the verification, the existing accounts of users whose age is under 15 will be closed.
Those between the ages of 15 and 18: Will continue to use their accounts, but with stricter child-specific settings.
Some platforms have already taken action. For example, Twitch banned opening accounts for people under the age of 15 in Turkey and announced that it would close existing accounts under this age in February 2027.
How will e-Government Age Verification Be Done?
Age verification will be done with an "age verification token" created through the e-Government Gateway. According to the regulation, after logging into e-Government, the user will create this token himself and upload it to the social media platform he uses.
The token will only contain information about whether the user has reached the age of 15 or not, and if so, whether the user has reached the age of 18. Name, surname, T.R. Information such as identification number or date of birth will not be transmitted to the platforms. In its statement, the Presidency underlined that identity and personal information will not be shared and that it will only be communicated whether the age threshold is met or not.
The step-by-step technical operation has not been explained yet. The Presidency stated that the steps to be followed by the users and the obligations of the platforms will be shared gradually through their official channels and social network platforms. For those with existing accounts, the period expires on March 31, 2027.
The only addresses that should be used for verification are turkiye.gov.tr and the official e-Government mobile application.
Beware of Scammers: Age Verification is Only Done in e-Government
Such new applications also mean opportunities for fraudsters. For this reason, the Presidency devoted a significant part of its statement to fake messages and sites. Particular attention should be paid to the following points:
Rely only on notifications within the platforms' official applications and authority announcements regarding age verification.
Never click on links in messages from other users, third-party applications or people.
Do not pay attention to those who call, text, or ask for a fee, card information, or password under the pretext of "age verification" through fake sites.
Carefully check the address of the site you enter. The name, logo or appearance of e-Government may have been imitated.
In its warning, the Presidency stated that "e-Government password, SMS verification codes, credit/debit card and account information should not be shared with any person, institution or platform." The awareness campaign launched by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Meta against frauds carried out using similar methods also draws attention to the same point.
If you see a suspicious site or link that impersonates public institutions, you can report it on the Cyber Security Directorate's reporting page.
Where Did The Law Come From?
The 15-year age limit was first brought to the agenda with the regulation passed by the Parliament in April 2026. When the under-15 restriction on social media became law, platforms were obliged to provide parental control tools and perform age verification. The regulation, which came into force on November 1, determines how these rules will be applied in the field.
