New e-commerce regulations begin August 1: What's changing

ETID President Hakan Çevikoğlu announced that as of August 1, new regulations will take effect in e-commerce areas such as discount sales, AI advertisements, social media influencers and targeted advertising.

Scraper SystemJuly 25, 2026, 10:42 PM

New e-commerce regulations begin August 1: What's changing

Hakan Çevikoğlu, President of the Electronic Commerce Operators Association (ETID), announced that as of August 1, many new practices will be implemented in the e-commerce sector under the ‘Regulation Amending the Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices Regulation.’ The new regulations introduce important rules in many areas, including digital marketing, artificial intelligence, social media influencers, discount sales and environmental claims.

10-Day Price Rule for Discounts

According to Çevikoğlu, conditional sales advertisements that offer consumers discounts or other advantages will now be subject to the same rules as discount sales advertisements. This aims to ensure consumers are informed more clearly and accurately about the scope of campaigns and the benefits provided.

The regulation defines the basis price for discount advertisements as the lowest price in the last 10 days before the discount start date, aiming to prevent discounts on unrealistically inflated prices.

Influencers Required to Label Posts as ‘Ad’

Social media content creators are now required to clearly indicate the advertising nature of their posts by using terms such as ‘ad’ or ‘sponsored’ whenever they receive any benefit, whether through earnings, discounted products or services, or participation in an event.

Transparency in AI-Generated Ads

A new regulation has also been introduced for AI-generated ads. Accordingly, if ads feature digital characters created with AI technology that are indistinguishable from humans, this must be clearly, understandably and distinguishably disclosed.

Consumer Complaint Response Time Reduced to 48 Hours

Çevikoğlu said the period granted to sellers or providers to exercise their right to comment or respond before consumer complaints are published has been reduced from 72 hours to 48 hours. If no response is given within this time, evaluations will be published directly. ‘We believe these regulations will contribute to increasing transparency in digital advertising, protecting consumers, and strengthening fair competition in the sector,’ Çevikoğlu added.

Ban on Illegal Betting and Fortune-Telling Ads Expanded

Çevikoğlu said the ban on advertisements for services provided by fortune tellers, mediums, astrologers and the like, as well as illegal betting and gambling games, has been expanded under the regulation, and that illegal games of chance are now also included in the ban.

Çevikoğlu also pointed to changing competitive conditions in global e-commerce and said that the Electronic Commerce Law should be updated to maintain Turkey's competitiveness. He expressed hope that August 1 would mark a milestone in the transformation process.

New e-commerce regulations begin August 1: What's changing