In Turkey, advertisements may no longer be placed via the platforms of Twitter, Periscope and Pinterest. The ban has to do with a controversial communication law.
The Turkish information and communication watchdog imposed an advertising ban on companies under a controversial law on social media use. Critics say that law gives the government the power to silence critical citizens.
The new law was already passed in July, but the decisions were published in the Turkish Government Gazette on Tuesday. She allows Turkish authorities to have the content removed from social media. Before that, the government had to block access to the site if any posts did not serve them.
The decision means that social media outlets are missing out on advertising revenue. “Our institutions will carefully monitor the implementation of this measure,” the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister of Transport and Infrastructure said on Twitter.
For example, fines will follow if the law is not complied with and companies that do not comply with the rules will be severely restricted in their accessibility to the network, which blocks access. Previously, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have also been fined for non-compliance with Turkey’s social media laws.
To enforce compliance, social media companies are now required to appoint a representative in the country. Facebook announced on Monday that it would comply with the requirement, YouTube did the same last month. Critics say the new law allows the Turkish government to silence critical citizens at home and abroad. Social media is a haven for Turks because the mainstream media is firmly in the government’s hands.