Residents of Türkiye spend on average more than seven hours a day on the internet, which highlights the rapid growth of the country’s digital ecosystem. This is stated in the We Are Social 2025 report, as well as in data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) and the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK).
According to the study, the average daily internet usage is 7 hours and 13 minutes, of which 4 hours and 4 minutes are spent on mobile devices. At the same time, 76.6% of all internet traffic comes from mobile platforms.
Social networks and mobile communication
Social media users in Türkiye spend on average 25 hours and 4 minutes per week on social networks. As of October 2025, there were approximately 62.3 million active social media users in the country, representing 70.9% of the population and 80.4% of all internet users.
Against the backdrop of a population approaching almost 86 million, digital connectivity continues to expand at an even faster pace. In the third quarter of last year, the number of mobile subscribers reached 99.1 million, exceeding the total population of the country.
Instagram remains the leading social platform with 62.3 million users, followed by YouTube (57.9 million). User activity is distributed as follows:
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Instagram — 89.5%
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WhatsApp — 88.9%
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YouTube — 78%
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Facebook — 68.6%
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X — 58.7%
The main purpose of going online remains information search, indicated by 71.6% of users. The most visited site in Türkiye is Google, and the most popular search query is hava durumu (weather forecast).
Concerns about data security
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that the rapid expansion of digital platforms has increased risks related to privacy and data security. According to him, large-scale data collection, biometric surveillance, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are often applied without the explicit consent of users, which creates threats both to personal privacy and national security. The minister called for stricter regulatory frameworks in this area.
New measures to protect children in the digital environment
At the same time, the Ministry of Family and Social Services of Türkiye has completed the development of a package of measures aimed at protecting children from the negative impact of the internet and social networks. This was reported by Haber Global.
According to the initiative, children under 15 years old will be prohibited from creating social media accounts, even with parental consent. They will be allowed access only to digital games appropriate for their age. An age rating system will be introduced for games without a general age ban.
It is also planned to introduce special rules for verifying users’ ages, expand parental control mechanisms, and require platforms to create an effective electronic complaint system for reporting illegal or harmful content.
Legislative changes are being prepared for submission to parliament
Lawmakers of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) plan to submit a large-scale bill to the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye in the coming days. The document provides for extending maternity leave, as well as new restrictions for children on social networks.
The bill was developed under the leadership of the head of the parliamentary group Abdullah Güler and his deputy Leyla Şahin Usta. The Minister of Family and Social Services Mahnur Özdemir Göktash has already presented the relevant report at a meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee.
Authorities emphasize that the proposed measures are aimed simultaneously at supporting working women and creating a safer digital environment for children.