Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu received Fatih Kafadar, ByteDance/TikTok State Relations and Public Policy Turkey and Levant Regional President, and discussed the responsibilities of social media platforms regarding the digital safety of children and young people. 1 During the meeting, Minister Uraloğlu emphasized their determination to protect children and young people from the risks of the digital world and to support them as conscious digital citizens.
Age Restrictions and Safe Use on Social Media
Minister Uraloğlu and Fatih Kafadar evaluated the important work carried out in the field of social media during the meeting. The responsibilities of the platforms and areas of cooperation were comprehensively discussed, especially age restrictions on social media, in order to ensure that young people can take part in the digital world more safely, consciously and efficiently. Minister Uraloğlu stated that the digital world contains both great opportunities and serious risks, and that cyberbullying, online harassment and exposure to inappropriate content are among the risks that affect young people the most.
Digital Safety of Children and Youth is a Priority
Minister Uraloğlu emphasized that as the AK Party governments, ensuring the safety of children and youth in digital media is one of their top priorities. “We continue our work with determination to protect our children and youth from the risks of the digital world and to support them as conscious digital citizens,” he said. In this context, he reminded that in the meetings held with the Ministry of Family and Social Services, extensive consultations were held on regulations regarding the use of social media, especially by youth under the age of 16.
Gradual Age Restrictions and Control Mechanisms
Minister Uraloğlu announced that they are working on a gradual regulation regarding the age limit in social media use. “We are planning separate regulations for children up to the age of 13 and for the age group of 13-16. With these studies, we aim to create stronger control mechanisms against harmful content and increase the responsibilities of digital platforms,” he said. These regulations aim to ensure that children and young people spend more secure time in the digital world and are protected from harmful content.
This meeting between Minister Uraloğlu and the TikTok official is considered an important step in demonstrating Türkiye's sensitivity to the digital safety of children and young people and the work done in this area.
