In today’s Official Journal Information Technology Board’s decision regarding procedures and principles on social network providers’ obligations pursuant to Internet Act numbered 5651 has been published.

In the decision, it is clarified that for online platforms the main purpose of which is not social interactions, but which have limited content allowing users to interact will not be regarded as social network providers. Hence, those platforms which are not designed for social networking, but within which the users can interact will not be subject to the social network providers’ obligations set out below.

We would like to kindly remind that, obligations relating to broadcasting pursuant to the Internet Act will continue to be applied. 

Those persons who are regarded as social network providers should appoint at least one representative in Turkey who should be a Turkish citizen or a legal person incorporated in Turkey, inform the Information Technologies Board regarding its representative and publish such representative’s information on their websites.

Furthermore, they are obliged to send reasoned responses to the enquiries that they receive within 48 hours and they should enable the users to make their applications in Turkish.

Social network providers should also submit semi-annual statistical and categoric reports to the Information Technology Board regarding the applications they received, awards for blocking access and awards for deletion of content. These reports also should be published on the social network providers’ website in a form free from any personal data.

Finally, social network providers are obliged to keep Tukey-based users’ data in Turkey.

@Kesikli Law Firm