Turkey bans social media use for children under 15

Turkey's parliament has passed a law banning children under 15 from social media. Platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram must verify ages, block under-15s from opening accounts, and give parents control tools for teenagers aged 15 to 17.

Penalties for platforms that do not comply range from advertising bans to slower access speeds and, in some cases, access bans.

The vote came a week after a 14-year-old shot and killed nine pupils and a teacher at a school in Kahramanmaras. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said social networks had become "cesspools".

The main opposition party, the CHP, voted against the bill, saying children should be protected through rights-based policies, not bans.

Sources: Associated Press, The Next Web.