Turkey to Lift Instagram Ban After Content Control Deal

Turkey will lift its ban on Instagram after the platform agreed to cooperate with the government on content regulation. The ban, which began on August 2nd, was reportedly imposed after an aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Instagram for censoring posts related to the death of Ismail Haniyeh, the political chief of Hamas.^[1]

Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu announced that Instagram has agreed to work "jointly" on managing content related to catalog crimes and censorship. The ban was expected to be lifted late Saturday. However, the specifics of the agreement between Instagram and the Turkish government are not yet clear.

Turkey has previously restricted access to social media platforms during significant events, often citing security concerns. Critics argue that these measures limit freedom of expression and give the government too much control over online platforms.

Earlier, Turkey banned the popular video game platform Roblox due to worries about content that might lead to child abuse. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced the ban, emphasizing the need to protect children and address harmful uses of technology.

The decision followed a court ruling based on an investigation by the public prosecutor's office in Adana. Details of the investigation were not disclosed.