AKP Group Deputy Chair Özlem Zengin has announced details of the Digital Platforms Regulation Bill in the parliament, to introduce further regulations on platforms operating in Turkey that have a volume of 1 million users per day.
In previous months the governing alliance had proposed further regulations to be implemented for establishing enhanced control over social media and other digital platforms following discussions over online-insult and broadcast of LGBTI+ content on video platforms.
5 STAGE PUNISHMENT
AKP's Özlem Zengin announced the new regulations for smedia social stating that social network providers will be required to employ a Turkish citizen as the platform's representative and there would be a five stage punishment plan. Gradually there will be monetary fines of 10 million TL, 30 million TL, ban on receiving advertisements and finally bandwith narrowing in two stages which will prevent users from accessing the platform.
REPRESENTATIVE MUST BE TURKISH CITIZEN
According to Zengin's statement, the platforms will be referred to as social network providers and they will be required to hire a Turkish citizen as their representative. The governing alliance demands there to be a respondent for the government requests concerning digital platforms. Zengin states, "in 2007 there was introduced Law numbered 5651, the internet publications regulations law. Some clauses are thus to be amended and changed. The first clause will define the social network providers. We are introducing new requirements for those providers with more than 1 million access number per day. There will be a representative; it can be an actual person or an institutional representation and if it will be a person that has to be a Turkish citizen." Zengin adds, "there will be introduced a mechanism to find solutions if a person thinks there is a violation of their individual rights, without consulting to the courts and there must be a response in 48 hours, positive or negative."
DETAILS OF THE PUNISHMENT MECHANISM
AKP deputy Zengin also announced details of the fines and penalties introduced for digital platforms, "unless these providers hire a local representative, initially they will be subjected to a 10 million TL monetary fine; after 30 days it will be increased to 30 million TL. Afterwards if they still insist on not hiring a local representative, they will be subjected to a 3 month ban on receiving advertisements. Following this period if they still insist, there will be introduced 50% bandwidth narrowing penalty which will finally be increased to 90% at the fifth stage. After this final decision, the access providers will be required to implement this decision in the 4 hours following the decision being taken. The network provider might be asked to compensate for the losses; personal rights violation will require a 5 million TL monetary fine."
