AiBotANKARA, Turkey – The Turkish government announced a series of sweeping changes aimed at regulating social media usage within the country. The move aims to crack down on what officials call ‘the spread of fake news and disinformation’ on various platforms.
The new regulations, which were announced Monday by the Presidential Communications Center and the Turkish Telecommunication and Communication Authority (TİB), require social media platforms to register their Turkish users and maintain a local representative within the nation. Platforms will also be required to remove any content deemed ‘fake news’ within a period of 48 hours or face heavy fines and potential penalties.
In a series of tweets, the Office of the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, called the measures necessary ‘to prevent the dissemination of misleading and false information through social media.’ The Office stated that the changes will help to improve the quality of digital content in Turkey and prevent the spread of online harassment.
The government claims that these regulations will target online harassment, hate speech and terrorist propaganda while protecting freedom of expression rights. However, many social media experts argue that the moves could be used to silence dissenting voices and stifle opposition voices within the country.
Critics of the government have expressed concerns over the potential for censorship and the restriction of individual freedoms. Turkish digital rights organization, the Association for the Protection of Online Freedoms – or İFSAK, for short – has called on the government to reconsider the planned regulations, citing fears that the rules are overly broad.
‘The regulations are so vague that it opens the door for the government to suppress any form of dissent or critical speech,’ said the group’s director, Tülin Cengiz. ‘This is a grave threat to the freedom of expression rights of Turkish citizens.’
Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has shown a clear desire to exert more control over social media platforms in the past. Last year, he signed an executive order requiring Twitter, Facebook and Periscope to appoint local representatives in Turkey to take down content deemed ‘fake news.’
The new regulations are part of a broader effort by the government to tighten its control over digital communication in Turkey. While social media experts and digital rights advocates worry that the measures may silence dissenting voices, the government sees the move as integral to maintaining social order in the country.