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Turkey Moves Toward Limiting Social Media Access for Minors

/in /tarafından

Turkey is edging closer to restricting social media access for minors, as a parliamentary report recommends sweeping measures including age verification, content filtering, and potential bans. The proposals align Turkey with a growing global push to tighten controls over children’s online activity amid concerns about addiction, harmful content, and mental wellbeing.

Lawmakers from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party are expected to submit draft legislation soon. Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas has said the bill would include a social media ban for minors and require platforms to implement content-filtering systems. The parliamentary commission also recommended night-time internet restrictions for under-18s, mandatory content filtration until age 18, and a full social media ban until age 16.

The report goes further, urging rapid removal of harmful content without prior notice and monitoring of children’s games and AI-enabled toys. Supporters say the measures are needed to curb digital addiction and protect children from inappropriate material. Critics, including social media companies, warn that weak age-verification tools could undermine bans and push minors toward unregulated platforms.

Turkey already enforces strict online controls, with over 1.2 million web pages and posts blocked by the end of 2024, according to local watchdog IFOD. Platforms face fines of up to 3% of global revenue, ad bans, and bandwidth reductions for non-compliance. Several services—including Roblox, Discord, and Wattpad—have already been banned. As debates intensify, Turkey joins countries like Australia, Spain, France, Britain, and Germany in weighing tougher rules for minors online.

Iraq Bans Roblox Over Child Safety and Moral Concerns

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The Iraqi government has announced a nationwide ban on the U.S.-based gaming platform Roblox (RBLX.O), citing child safety and moral concerns, as part of a wider crackdown across the Middle East on online games and virtual worlds.

Officials said the decision followed a comprehensive government study and field monitoring, which found that Roblox enabled direct communication between users — a feature they claimed exposed children and adolescents to online exploitation, cyber-extortion, and harmful behavior. The government also said the game’s content was “incompatible with Iraq’s social values and traditions.”

Roblox Corporation responded that safety was its top priority and expressed interest in working with Iraqi authorities to restore access. “We strongly contest recent claims made by the Iraqi authorities, which we believe are based on an outdated understanding of our platform,” a company spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that Roblox had already suspended certain communication features, such as in-game chat, in Arabic-speaking regions, including Iraq, earlier this year as part of ongoing safety updates.

The Iraqi Ministry of Communications stated that the platform “involves several security, social, and behavioral risks,” emphasizing that the move was taken to protect young users.

The ban aligns Iraq with other Middle Eastern nations that have tightened regulation of digital entertainment platforms. In August 2024, Turkey similarly blocked access to Roblox, citing risks of child exploitation and abuse.

Analysts say the decision reflects a broader regional effort to regulate online gaming and interactive media, balancing youth protection with the growing popularity of global virtual platforms.

Australia Regulator Sues FIIG Securities for Cybersecurity Failures

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The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) announced on Thursday that it is suing FIIG Securities, a fixed-income broker, accusing the company of failing to implement proper cybersecurity measures over a four-year period. These alleged failures allowed a hacker to infiltrate FIIG’s IT network, resulting in the theft of approximately 385 gigabytes of confidential data.

The breach, which occurred between May 19 and June 8, 2023, affected 18,000 clients, who were notified that their personal information may have been compromised. Some of the stolen client data was later found on the dark web.

ASIC’s lawsuit claims that from March 2019 to June 2023, FIIG failed to take necessary steps to ensure the security of its digital infrastructure. The regulator stated that the company lacked adequate cyber risk management systems, which directly contributed to the attack.

“Advancing digital safety and resilience is a strategic priority for ASIC, and we have been actively engaging with companies to support the continuous improvement of cyber and operational resilience practices,” said ASIC Chair Joe Longo.

During the period when the cybersecurity issues occurred, JPMorgan held assets for FIIG and its clients, ranging in value from A$2.89 billion ($1.83 billion) to A$3.7 billion. However, JPMorgan declined to comment on the matter when contacted by Reuters, and FIIG did not respond to requests for comment.

According to ASIC, the deficiencies alleged include FIIG’s failure to adequately update and patch its software, as well as its insufficient resources to protect against and prevent cyberattacks.