Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority has delivered a blow to free speech by enforcing a ban that inhibits Turkish citizens and corporations from placing ads on Twitter. The move is a reaction to Twitter’s failure to comply with a contentious digital law that requires the appointment of an official representative to oversee censorship on the platform.
The BTK’s resolution against “X Corp. formerly known as Twitter, Inc” has prohibited any new ads from “natural and legal persons.” This decision was published in the Official Gazette, following the company’s non-compliance with Turkey’s new digital law adopted in 2022.
This digital law, which has drawn widespread condemnation has ignited a controversy over increased government control and censorship on social media platforms. Critics argue that the legislation amounts to an assault on digital free speech.
Under the new law, social media companies are obliged to designate official representatives within Turkey. These individuals would be accountable for processing government demands and notifications, which would predominantly encompass requests for content removal.
For those who defy the new rule, the penalties include fines for any person or company placing advertisements on Twitter. Furthermore, the law contains a stringent clause whereby continued non-compliance from Twitter may result in the halving of the platform’s bandwidth within the country.
This recent legislation is one in a string of stringent laws and regulations that have been passed under the government of President Erdogan. These laws have invariably drawn criticism for their perceived encroachment on social media, digital rights, and internet freedoms. As the debate over digital free speech continues to intensify, this latest move by the BTK could be seen as another step in a disturbing trend toward online censorship.
