Elon Musk X, the micro-blogging platform closely followed by the whole world after its acquisition by the Turkish government, did not comply with the social media law in Turkey and did not fulfill certain obligations. The most important of these obligations was the requirement to have a local representative in Turkey. After failing to fulfill this condition, Turkey imposed an administrative fine of TRY 10 million and then TRY 30 million on platform X. In addition, advertising on the platform was banned and a three-month period was granted for failure to appoint a representative. It was a matter of curiosity what steps will be taken after this period expires.
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure’s Statements and Possible Consequences
Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, said at the April 23rd reception that negotiations are still ongoing on the appointment of a representative and that legal arrangements may be required. Minister Uraloğlu said, “There is an advertising ban in force, and band throttling is also on our agenda.” Band throttling means slowing down the data flow of the internet. This can severely limit the platform’s capacity to deliver services and negatively impact the user experience.
The Impact of Turkey’s Social Media Laws
Turkey’s steps show how serious it is about social media platforms complying with local laws. The obligation to appoint a local representative aims to protect the rights of users in Turkey, while at the same time imposing a responsibility on social media companies to comply with local regulations. For global platforms, this poses both a challenge and a necessity to accept the conditions for operating in local markets.