Advertising Bans On Social Network Providers In Turkey And Next Steps

The new provisions concerning social network providers which were brought by the Law Amending the Law No. 5651 on the Regulation of Internet Broadcasts and Prevention of Crimes Committed through Such Broadcasts, as also referred to as the Social Media Law in Turkey, entered into force on October 01, 2020.

The new obligations and sanctions introduced for social network providers have remained a hot topic since the latest amendments to the Law No. 5651. Most recently, on January 19, 2021, the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) decided to issue advertisement bans on social network providers Pinterest Inc., Twitter Inc., and Periscope which were previously imposed two separate administrative fines; but still failed to appoint and notify a representative within the deadline. Relevant decisions of ICTA were also published in the Official Gazette. Facebook and Instagram which announced their decision to appoint a representative in Turkey on January