March 31 warning for children's social media accounts!

A new era has begun on digital platforms with the regulation preventing children under the age of 15 from opening social media accounts. Assoc. Prof. Zindan Çakıcı stated that social media companies must perform age verification on existing accounts by March 31, 2027, “Social network services will not be provided to children under the age of 15. Users who have turned 15 but not yet 18 will be provided with distinct services specific to children.” Pointing out that the regulation alone will not be sufficient, Assoc. Prof. Çakıcı said, “The main goal is not only to keep children away from social media but to raise them as safer and more conscious individuals in the digital environment.”

Assoc. Prof. Zindan Çakıcı, Head of the New Media and Communication Department at Üsküdar University's Faculty of Communication, evaluated the technical infrastructure, age verification system, parental supervision, and necessary measures for children's digital safety of the regulation that came into force on November 1, limiting social media use for children under 15.

Social network services will not be provided to children under 15!

Assoc. Prof. Zindan Çakıcı stated that the fundamental mechanism of the new regulation is an age verification token to be created via e-Devlet, “The user will verify their identity through e-Devlet and create this token via the service provided by the Cybersecurity Directorate, then upload it to the social media platform. The platform will then verify the token to determine the user's age group. The token will not contain the person's identity information or date of birth. It will only indicate whether the user meets the 15 and 18 age thresholds.”

Assoc. Prof. Çakıcı stated that the regulation envisages different applications according to age groups, “Social network services will not be provided to children under the age of 15. Users who have turned 15 but not yet 18 will be provided with distinct services specific to children.”

Deadline for existing accounts: March 31, 2027!

Noting that social media platforms are also obliged to include existing user accounts in the age verification system, Assoc. Prof. Çakıcı said, “Existing accounts must undergo age verification at least once by March 31, 2027. Therefore, it is not enough for platforms to only perform age checks. They also need to align the privacy settings, content presentation, communication features, and recommendation systems of child accounts with the provisions of the Regulation.”

Children's identity information will not be transferred to social media companies

Assoc. Prof. Çakıcı stated that the age verification system includes an important approach in terms of personal data protection, “The age verification token indicates whether the user has turned 15, and if so, whether they have turned 18. Identity information is not transferred to social media platforms. The platform only learns whether the user meets the relevant age threshold. This approach is positive in terms of personal data protection.”

However, emphasizing that no digital verification system is completely risk-free, Assoc. Prof. Çakıcı said, “The reliability of the system depends on the secure creation of the token, its correct verification by platforms, and the oversight of the implementation.”

Beware of fake age verification messages!

Assoc. Prof. Çakıcı also warned that the new system could be abused by scammers, stating, “The Center for Combating Disinformation warned that personal and financial information could be attempted to be obtained through fake SMS, emails, and links. Therefore, age verification procedures should only be performed through the official e-Devlet Gateway or the official mobile application. Users should not click on suspicious links sent via messages and should not share their e-Devlet passwords with third parties.”

Using a VPN will not eliminate the age verification requirement

Assoc. Prof. Çakıcı also evaluated the possibility of children circumventing restrictions by misrepresenting their age, using parental accounts, or resorting to methods like VPNs, saying, “Because verification is based not on the user's declaration but on the official age verification process. Conversely, it is more difficult to completely prevent situations such as a child using a parent's account. VPN use also cannot replace or invalidate the age verification token. This is because age detection is based not on the user's location but on verified age information.”

Assoc. Prof. Çakıcı stated that platforms should also conduct supervision after account creation, “If there is reasonable suspicion that the user is acting inconsistently with their age group, the account may be suspended, and age re-verification may be requested. Therefore, the regulation may make such attempts more difficult, but it is not realistic to say that it will definitively eliminate all circumvention methods.”

Existing accounts of children under 15 will be closed

Providing information on how existing accounts will be managed during the transition period, Assoc. Prof. Çakıcı said, “Accounts of users who have turned 15 but not yet completed 18 will be transitioned to distinct service conditions specific to children. If a user whose account is closed activates the application or appeal mechanism, the content and personal data belonging to the account cannot be deleted until the process is concluded. If the appeal procedure is not activated, the data must be deleted without delay.”

Pointing out that human oversight is mandatory in appeal processes, Assoc. Prof. Çakıcı said, “Appeals cannot be evaluated by automatic systems alone. Platforms are obliged to offer a free, Turkish, and accessible application mechanism and conduct meaningful human review.”
Assoc. Prof. Çakıcı also noted that the automatic closure of all accounts or deletion of their data that do not complete age verification by March 31, 2027, is not separately regulated in the Regulation, and therefore, the verification obligation and the sanctions to be applied to accounts should be separated.

Children should also be taught how algorithms work

Emphasizing the need to strengthen digital literacy education in schools, Assoc. Prof. Çakıcı said that children should learn not only how to use technology but also to recognize the risks of the digital environment.

Assoc. Prof. Çakıcı said, “Children should be equipped with skills such as protecting their personal data, recognizing cyberbullying, distinguishing misinformation, and understanding how algorithms influence content preferences.”

“Success should not be measured solely by the number of closed accounts”

Stating that the effectiveness of the regulation should be evaluated through scientific and measurable indicators, Assoc. Prof. Çakıcı said, “The accuracy rate of the age verification system, children's attempts to circumvent age restrictions, changes in exposure to harmful content and cyberbullying incidents, personal data breaches, and digital literacy levels should be evaluated together. Regular monitoring of these indicators through independent research is also important.”

Emphasizing that children's safe presence in the digital world cannot be ensured solely by legal restrictions, Assoc. Prof. Zindan Çakıcı concluded, “The main goal is not only to keep children away from social media but to raise them as safer and more conscious individuals in the digital environment.”