Turkey's under-15 social media ban is live, but the e-Devlet age token is not

Turkey's under-15 ban starts, with a token in stages

e-Devlet is the government portal citizens already use for tax records and court documents.

The regulation behind the ban was published in Turkey's Official Gazette on 10 October 2026, and it rests on a law parliament passed in April. Existing accounts have until 31 March 2027 to complete verification. Users aged 15 to 18 must be offered a separate, safer service. At least one platform moved early: Twitch introduced a 15-year age restriction for Turkish users ahead of the deadline.

The token service was not listed on 2 November

Turkey's Cyber Security Directorate said on 31 October that details would be announced in stages.

In practice a user signs in to e-Devlet, requests a token from an online service run by the directorate and uploads it to the social network. The token shows only whether the user is at least 15 and, if so, whether they are at least 18. It contains no usernames or other information that would identify the user to third parties. Platforms may not use it for anything else. The directorate says the process should only be done on turkiye.gov.tr or the official e-Devlet mobile app.

What the token reveals, and what teenagers get

Accounts belonging to 15- to 17-year-olds must be private and cannot be made public. Their follower and following lists are hidden from other users, and teens can receive messages only from accounts they follow. Screenshots of their accounts are blocked, and platforms cannot offer them livestreaming, personalized ads or feeds that keep serving content as they scroll.

Parental controls are part of the package. Parents must be able to manage account settings, approve purchases or set spending limits, limit screen time and use location sharing. People who do not live in Turkey but are there temporarily are exempt from the checks, though they can get an exceptional token using only their passport details. Accounts found to belong to children under 15 will be closed.

Scams, a legal challenge and the wider age-check debate

Turkey's Center for Combating Disinformation said on 23 October that scammers were already exploiting the rules with fake text messages, emails and social media links. The messages typically claim an account will be closed unless the user verifies age immediately. They then lead to a fake e-Devlet login page, Demircan said. Entering the e-Devlet password and SMS code there puts the account at risk of takeover. The Cyber Security Directorate warned users to ignore any request that does not come through e-Devlet and never to share passwords, SMS verification codes, card details or account information.

Yaman Akdeniz, co-founder of the Freedom of Expression Association, said the regulation effectively requires everyone over 15 to verify through e-Devlet with no alternative. He said the group would ask the Council of State to suspend and annul it.

Ofcom's report, released this week, identifies four methods capable of establishing whether someone is 16 or over, and finds each requires photo ID either directly or as a backstop. The regulator estimates 94 per cent of people aged 16 and over in the UK hold a passport or driving licence, but around 150,000 16- and 17-year-olds have no relevant document. Even the best facial age estimation has an error rate of nearly two years for teenagers, so the challenge age would likely need to be over 18 for a 16 age gate.

Canada's Bill C-34 would require age verification for under-16 social media accounts. The government plans to bring the ban into force before the Digital Safety Commission exists. A separate bill, S-209, passed the Senate in April and got its first hour of second reading debate in the House of Commons last month, and has been referred to committee.

In Texas, the SCOPE Act came into force on 1 September 2024. Its requirement that every user's age be registered before an account is opened has stood throughout litigation. The full Fifth Circuit has decided to rehear challenges to the law, vacating a 24 July panel ruling that kept some parts blocked.

What happens next

Turkey's model puts the identity check in the state's hands, not the platform's.

The UK wants a similar ban from spring 2027. Turkey's Cyber Security Directorate has not said how many accounts will need verifying, or what a new user does if the e-Devlet step fails.