What Is the Separated Service? Social Media Changes for Ages 15-17 in Turkey
Under the regulation, users who have turned 15 but not 18 will get a “separated service designed for children”. What does it mean in practice?
Who is covered?
The 15-17 age group. Under-15s cannot open new accounts and users aged 18 and over are not restricted. Use the calculator to see your group.
What changes for this group?
- Private accounts by default.
- Live streaming and personalised ads off.
- Limited messaging: Messaging with this group is possible only through accounts they follow.
- No contact matching: Phone contacts and contact lists cannot be matched with children’s accounts.
- Parental controls: Account settings, paid-transaction approval and usage time monitoring.
How will providers announce this?
Under the law, the measures for the separated service will be published on the social network provider’s own website.
How will verification work?
Age verification will use a token created in e-Devlet that only shows whether the 15 and 18 thresholds have been passed. See our guide.
Source: Official Gazette no. 33396 of 10 October 2026 and news reports. Practice may vary by platform.