Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that support can be received from Alo 141 and internetyardim.org.tr for cyberbullying. Minister Uraloğlu emphasized that with the regulation, social network providers with more than one million daily access are obliged to respond to applications regarding privacy within 48 hours at the latest. Uraloğlu said, “In case this obligation is not fulfilled, administrative fines are planned to be imposed.”
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu noted that the Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK) has been offering solution suggestions through the Internet Help Center since 2017 in order to create a safe internet area and prevent digital bullying. Uraloğlu said, “Our Internet Help Center offers solution suggestions for problems encountered in illegal content, privacy, information security, shopping, social network platforms, safe internet service, digital games, cyberbullying and health. Citizens can receive support regarding cyberbullying incidents they are subjected to via Alo 141 and internetyardim.org.tr.”
Minister Uraloğlu reminded that BTK was given duties within the scope of Law No. 04.05.2007 dated 5651 and said the following:
“Within the scope of the Law on Regulating Publications Made on the Internet and Combating Crimes Committed Through These Publications, various activities are carried out for the conscious and safe use of the internet. These activities aim to combat illegal content whose subject is catalog crimes such as prostitution, obscenity, illegal betting and gambling crimes.”
Uraloğlu, who stated that services are provided as Awareness Center, Internet Help Center and Reporting Center, summarized the functions of these centers as follows:
“The Awareness Center aims to inform internet users, especially children and young people, about the opportunities and risks that the internet offers, and to this end, it carries out educational activities and awareness activities on conscious internet use. The Internet Help Center is a consultancy line that provides advice and assistance regarding internet-related problems. The Reporting Center was established to evaluate reports received within the scope of combating illegal content that may be encountered on the internet and to take the necessary measures. In this context, it combats sexual abuse of children, obscenity, use of substances that are dangerous to health, prostitution, providing places and opportunities for gambling, encouraging suicide, facilitating the use of narcotics and stimulants, and crimes committed against Atatürk on the internet.”
Hello 141, 425 Calls Answered
Noting that the center provides service to citizens through both its website and call line, Uraloğlu said, “Since it entered service, 61 questions sent by citizens to internetyardim.org.tr have been answered. In the last two years, 161 questions have been answered.”
Uraloğlu stated that 2019 thousand 141 calls have been answered so far through the ALO 425 Safe Internet Information Support Line, which was put into operation in 837 and functions as the call center of the Internet Help Center, and said, “2022 thousand 2024 calls coming through the ALO 141 Safe Internet Information Support Line were answered between 221-615.”
Social Network Providers Are Obliged to Respond Within 48 Hours
Finally, Minister Uraloğlu drew attention to the fact that a regulation was made within the framework of Law No. 5651 and provided the following information:
“Instagram, X, Youtube Social network providers with more than one million daily access from Turkey, such as; are obliged to respond to citizens' applications regarding the privacy of private life within 48 hours at the latest. If social network providers do not fulfill this obligation, administrative fines are planned to be imposed.”
