Turkey is among the most social media-savvy nations in the world in a world that is progressively moving toward digitalization.
Turkey is among the top countries in the world for social media usage in a world that is gradually becoming more digital. Turkey’s Parliament met in the midst of this digital boom to discuss the growing worries about the influence of social media platforms, especially in light of recent restrictions on Instagram and the impending ban on TikTok.
Turkey’s struggles on social media: Roblox and Instagram
The temporary closure of social media apps like Instagram and the prohibition on the Roblox game platform were major talking points. The TBMM Digital Platforms Commission Chair, Huseyin Yayman, defended these actions by arguing that they were lawful steps intended to ensure compliance with national legislation, comparable to what is expected of compliance in places like Berlin, Paris, London, and Washington.
Yayman also agreed that Instagram should reopen, but he also emphasized the need to follow local court decisions, including the one from an Adana court that ordered the Roblox ban.
Which websites are prohibited in Turkey?
The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) disabled Instagram, which has 58 million users in Turkey, on August 2 for “non-compliance with catalog crimes.” Instagram reopened on August 10 when Meta acceded to Turkey’s demands; however, the 8-day suspension caused an estimated $17.1 billion in economic losses for Turkey.
On August 7, a popular gaming platform among young people, Roblox, was banned. Turkey ranked sixth on the globe in terms of Roblox players. According to a Directorate of Communications official, allegations of inappropriate sexual content on the platform were the main driving force behind the Roblox suspension. (BTK) has sent more than a thousand warnings to Telegram, a messaging service with 8 million active users in the nation, alleging that the program contains illicit content like prostitution, gambling, drug trafficking, and pedophilia. There has been no response to many alerts sent to Telegram’s U.K. headquarters, which raises the potential of a ban in Turkey.
Yayman asserted that social media’s detrimental effects exceed its beneficial applications and issued a warning about its potentially dangerous nature. He emphasized the risks associated with digital addiction, especially for young people, and the potential for it to become a national security concern.
Transparency: Yayman criticized social media platform representatives for their lack of transparency about advertising revenues and tax payments when the commission reopened its negotiations with them, highlighting the necessity of addressing the economic aspects of social media.
Vice Chair of the Commission Nazım Elmas emphasized security issues with TikTok, pointing out that the app is prohibited on work phones in many European nations due to cyber security threats. Yayman and the Hatay MP for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) have already expressed their severe disapproval of TikTok. Yayman went on to criticize TikTok’s content and its alleged influence on society’s values, calling the platform “advocating for the devil.”
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