The new regulation prepared by the Ministry of Trade and published in the Official Gazette has introduced comprehensive changes in social media advertising. The regulation covers many areas from AI-generated content to influencer promotions, children's online safety to environmental claims.
The ministry aims to prevent fraud on social media, curb irregularities and protect users against manipulative tactics.
Transparency requirement for AI-generated content
One of the most notable articles of the regulation concerns content created with artificial intelligence. According to field data from the Advertisement Board, especially deepfake-type fake images manipulate consumers' decision-making processes.
Therefore, it has become mandatory to add the phrase "produced by artificial intelligence" to digital characters that are indistinguishable from humans. The promotion of products using digital copies of real people as if they had tried them themselves has been completely banned. Recent marketing attempts using fake images of Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek and world-famous footballers Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the justifications for this ban.
Monetary fines coming for dark patterns
The regulation will also not allow "dark pattern" practices that force consumers into unwanted transactions, make it difficult to cancel memberships, or create a false sense of urgency such as "last item in stock." The Advertisement Board may impose monetary fines in addition to content suspension for such violations.
Influencer economy being brought under official record
The posts of social media influencers, who manage a multi-billion lira promotion traffic under the guise of "recommendations," will no longer remain in the ambiguity of "hidden advertising." Any kind of benefit relationship — such as gifted products, invitations, discounts — must be clearly indicated with the phrases "advertisement" or "promotion." This step aims to save the sector from informality and loss of trust.
Measure to prevent greenwashing
Clear rules have also been introduced against the rising global trend of "greenwashing." Expressions such as "eco-friendly" or "sustainable" for a product can now only be used together with university approval or a certificate from an accredited institution. This aims to prevent the exploitation of environmentally conscious consumers through emotional manipulation and to protect honest producers against unfair competition.
Ban on profiling children
Analyzing children's gaming and internet habits to present them with personalized ad content by analyzing their personal data is also prohibited. The regulation plans to prevent children from being used as commodities on social media.
Advertisement Board's authority to inspect and penalize
Following the ministry's regulation, the Advertisement Board can initiate ex officio investigations. Administrative fines for deceptive and misleading ads for 2026 range between 79,161 lira and 31,808,530 lira. The penalty amounts vary depending on the medium where the ad was published and the type of violation.
Door to fraud closes
According to Turkish Statistical Institute data, 89.5 percent of internet users in Turkey are active on social media. The ministry aims to ensure that platforms are no longer a door to fraud for malicious individuals with the new rules.
