New social media law adopted in Turkey

A new social media law was endorsed in Turkey to obligate social media networks with more than a million unique connections per day to store user data locally and have a representative in Turkey. It also compels social media platforms to remove offensive content reported by individuals or the government within 48 hours. Companies who would fail to do so would be subject to a fine up to €4.3 million, restrictions on bandwidth, and access to their platforms might be blocked. While the law was condemned for tightening rules on social media and threatening their presence in the company, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) said it combats online insults and harassment. In response, Facebook has reportedly defied the law, while Google’s YouTube and Twitter refrained from commenting on their reactions to the new regulations.