Turkish Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced on August 10, 2024, that the access restriction on Instagram, imposed on August 2, would be lifted at 21:30. The ban was initially implemented due to Instagram’s failure to comply with Turkish laws regarding ‘catalog crimes,’ a term used by Turkish authorities to describe certain online offenses.Following negotiations with Instagram officials, the platform agreed to meet Turkey’s demands, including removing content that violates Turkish laws, addressing censorship issues, and cooperating on matters related to terrorism and user rights. Uraloğlu stated, ‘After our negotiations with Instagram officials, they agreed to remove content that violates Turkish laws and to work together to remove content that violates user rights’.The lifting of the ban comes with assurances from Meta, Instagram’s parent company, to respect Turkish laws and protect the rights of approximately 60 million users in Turkey. Uraloğlu emphasized, ‘We have made significant progress in increasing security in the digital environment, ensuring legal compliance, protecting user rights, and developing a fair monitoring mechanism’.As part of the agreement, Meta has committed to showing sensitivity to the removal of content containing propaganda in favor of the PKK and other organizations, which is crucial for Turkey’s fight against terrorism. The minister also announced that high-level officials from Meta are expected to visit Turkey in the coming days to discuss further cooperation and engage in a ‘more comprehensive and high-level dialogue’.The resolution of this issue marks a significant development in the ongoing negotiations between Turkey and social media platforms regarding content moderation and compliance with local laws. It also highlights the increasing importance of digital governance and the complex relationship between national regulations and global tech companies.
Key points
- Turkey will lift the Instagram access restriction on August 10, 2024, at 21:30, after an agreement with the platform.
- Instagram agreed to comply with Turkish laws, including content removal and addressing censorship issues.
- Meta officials are expected to visit Turkey soon for further discussions on cooperation and compliance.
- The agreement affects approximately 60 million Instagram users in Turkey.
