Turkey to introduce compulsory ID verification for all social media users, says minister

Turkey is preparing to introduce mandatory identity verification for all social media users, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek has announced.

“Identity verification will be essential on social media. If a person is going to make a comment or publish a post, their identity will definitely be known. They will not do this with a fake account or a fake account from abroad without identity verification,” Gürlek said in an interview with the pro-government daily Yeni Şafak published yesterday.

He said the Justice Ministry is working with the Family and Social Services Ministry on the legal regulation. Once the regulation passes the parliament, the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), Turkey’s internet authority, will give a period of time to accounts that are not verified, he added.

Mahinur Göktaş, the minister of family and social services, also stated in a Feb 17 social media post that they are working on a social media ban for children under the age of 16.

‘Digital isolation project’

The Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD) described the proposed regulation as “a digital isolation project that encompasses the entire society.”

The association warned that the regulation would destroy anonymity on the internet and drive individuals to self-censorship due to the fear of being profiled.

“On one hand, the restrictive regulations targeting game platforms and the social media ban for children under 15 carried out by the Family and Social Services Ministry; on the other hand, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek’s announcement that identity and mobile phone verification will be introduced for social media accounts, complete the pieces of the puzzle. The aim is not to protect children; it is to build a massive ‘Digital Panopticon’ where everyone is monitored, profiled, and inspected,” the group stated.

(HA/VK)