Türkiye rallies int’l community for protection of children in digital age

The Ministry of Family and Social Services will host a two-day summit starting on Tuesday for the protection of children in the digital world. Representatives from 17 countries, including 11 ministers, will attend the event in Ankara, which first lady Emine Erdoğan will also participate in.

The summit aims to discuss joint steps for digital security for children and global cooperation on the matter.

The ministry said in a statement that it would collaborate with UNICEF and the United Nations Office of the Special Representative on Violence against Children for the summit. Along with ministers, ambassadors from 30 countries and representatives of international tech companies will attend the summit.

Emine Erdoğan and Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş are expected to address the first session of the summit. Other speakers include Shakhnoza Shavkatovna Mirziyoyeva, First Deputy Director of Uzbekistan’s National Agency for Social Protection, Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia and Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Violence against Children. The ministry said dignitaries from

Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, South Africa, Ghana and Egypt, along with lawmakers from Turkish parliament’s Digital Platforms Committee, will participate in technical panels where prevention policies for protecting children in digital environments and digital literacy will be addressed.

In sessions discussing responsible technology governance and global practices, representatives from global tech giants such as Microsoft, Meta, and Google will share their views alongside representatives from Türkiye’s Presidency of Communications, the Cybersecurity Presidency, the Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK), and the Turkish Technology Team Foundation (T3 Foundation). Furthermore, a special session will be organized where children and youth from various countries will share their digital experiences and offer solution proposals.

Within the scope of the summit, Türkiye’s “Action Plan for the Empowerment of Children in the Digital World (2026-2030),” prepared to protect children from digital risks, will be shared with participating countries.

Solutions developed against digital risks and for safe online behavior through the Ministry’s instant notification mechanisms, available via website and mobile app, will be presented as a model application.

Legal regulation studies forecasting new obligations for social network providers and gaming platforms will form a significant agenda item for the technical sessions.

Earlier this month, Parliament began debating a draft law package that includes restricting access to social media platforms for children under 15, as authorities seek to strengthen protections against harmful online content.

If adopted, the legislation would require social media companies to implement age verification systems, introduce parental control tools and respond swiftly to content considered harmful.

The government says the proposal aims to reduce risks to children’s safety and privacy online.

Under the draft proposal, digital platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and others would have to block children under 15 from opening accounts and introduce parental controls that would manage children’s access.

Measures on children’s access to social media have gained momentum globally in recent months. In Australia, measures introduced in December targeted users under 16, with social media companies revoking access to millions of accounts identified as belonging to children. Last month, Indonesia began enforcing a new regulation banning children under 16 from accessing digital platforms that could expose them to risks such as pornography, cyberbullying, online scams and addiction. Other countries, including Spain, France and the United Kingdom, are also taking or considering similar steps, citing growing concerns over the impact of unregulated social media content on children.

Most recently, Greece also announced that access to social media for children under the age of 15 would be restricted from Jan. 1, 2027.

Roundtable meetings at the ministerial level at the summit will evaluate holistic policies for the protection and empowerment of children, examples of best practices, and opportunities for international cooperation. Following the speeches by relevant ministers, technical sessions will be held under the headings of “Responsibilities of the Private Sector” and “Digital Participation of Children.”

At the conclusion of the two-day program, a final declaration containing priority areas and solution paths for creating safer digital spaces for children will be shared.

DAILYSABAH