Türkçe: README.tr.md
This proposal calls for bringing the content rating system already used in traditional media, such as national TV channels and cinema (Türkiye’s “Akıllı İşaretler” / smart signs), to social media platforms. Every piece of content uploaded to a platform would be rated automatically by AI before publication. In countries that choose to adopt the regulation, users would verify their age with an official ID when they log in. Content filters set by the state would then apply automatically, and without exception, to users identified as children. Adults could optionally set their own filters, whether or not their country has adopted the regulation.
Global technology companies are unlikely to build such infrastructure voluntarily, and they operate across borders. The proposal therefore asks the proposing country (Türkiye) to lead an effort to put the issue on the agenda of the G7, the G20, the United Nations or similar international platforms. The aim is a common action plan that makes the infrastructure a binding international regulation for platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Each country would stay free to activate it under its own legislation.
The most sensible solution is not to pull children away from the platforms they already use. It is to put regulations in place that make those platforms safe and auditable for them.
Integrate the content rating system used in traditional media into social media platforms, and make it a legal obligation for global companies. The regulatory framework has three core pillars:
flowchart TD
G["International coordination (G7, G20, UN)"] -->|binding regulation| P["Platforms build the AI rating and filtering infrastructure"]
P --> U["Creator uploads content"]
U --> R["AI rates the content before publication"]
R --> C{"Has the user's country adopted the regulation?"}
C -->|Yes| L["User logs in and verifies age with an official ID"]
L --> A{"Verified age"}
A -->|Child| S["State-defined filters apply automatically (mandatory)"]
A -->|Adult| F["Full access, with optional personal label filters"]
C -->|No| N["Platform works as today; adults can still set optional label filters"]
| Layer | Who is responsible | Mandatory or optional |
|---|---|---|
| Building the AI rating and filtering infrastructure | Social media companies | Mandatory for platforms (under the international regulation) |
| Adopting the regulation within a country | Each national government | Optional per country |
| ID/age verification at login | Platforms, in adopting countries | Mandatory for every user logged in from an adopting country |
| State-defined content filters for children | Applied automatically on verified age | Mandatory; not left to user or parental discretion |
| Personal label filters for adults | Adult users (and parents as end users) | Optional; available whether or not the country adopts the regulation |
| Stakeholder | Role / Benefit |
|---|---|
| Children | Keep access to the educational content on the platforms they already use, while being protected from inappropriate content; avoid being pushed to unsupervised channels |
| Parents | Can personalize filters and add optional restrictions as end users |
| Adult users | Gain an optional, personalized way to block unwanted content labels, regardless of national regulation |
| National governments | Can choose to adopt the regulation and set filters within their own legal framework |
| Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), Ministry of Family and Social Services (Türkiye) | Relevant implementing institutions for the national side of the regulation |
| Social media platforms (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, etc.) | Build and operate the rating, verification and filtering infrastructure under a single international framework |
| International forums (G7, G20, UN) | Venue for leaders to agree on a common, binding action plan |
The overall benefit is that the internet is protected as a safe space for children and turned into a safe learning environment, without isolating them from the digital world.
| Risk | Mitigation in the proposal |
|---|---|
| Blanket age bans push children toward unsupervised or dangerous alternative channels | Keep children on the platforms they already use and make those platforms safe through rating and filtering |
| Platforms will not build the infrastructure voluntarily because of profit motives | Make it a legal obligation (regulation) imposed on the platforms |
| National regulation alone cannot bind global companies | Coordinate through the G7, the G20, the UN or similar platforms for a binding international regulation |
| Countries differ in their legal and cultural preferences | Adoption is optional per country, and filters are defined under each country’s own legislation |
| Child protection could be bypassed if it depends on individual choice | In adopting countries, ID-based age verification at login and child filters are mandatory, not left to discretion |
| Adults’ freedom of access | Adult filtering stays optional and personal |
Keywords: child online safety, age verification, content rating, social media regulation, AI moderation, digital policy, online harms, parental controls, G20, international regulation
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Originally drafted by Merih İlgör as a public policy proposal (July 2026); published here as an open project idea.
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 for non-commercial use. See LICENSE. Commercial use requires a revenue-share agreement. See COMMERCIAL-LICENSE.md. Modified versions may not be sold or transferred to third parties as new ideas, and patent-like rights are reserved; see COMMERCIAL-LICENSE.md.