Full Breakdown
Human Rights Groups Challenge Turkey’s Mass Blocking of Social Media Accounts
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Mass Account Blocking on X and Other Platforms
Turkish courts have ordered the removal of at least 1,270 accounts on the X platform, citing public-order and safety concerns. The orders also extend to Facebook and Instagram, where Meta has restricted access for several media and civil-society pages, including the independent outlet Kisa Dalga, the LGBTQ+ organization Kaos GL, and the Civic Space Studies Association. No immediate comment was received from the Turkish government regarding the latest round of restrictions.
Legal Framework and Recent Legislative Changes
Most of the blocking orders rely on Article 8/A of Turkey’s Internet Law, which permits urgent content restrictions on grounds such as national security and public order, subject to later court review. On July 31, legislation transferred certain oversight powers from the Information and Communication Technologies Authority to the Cybersecurity Directorate, a body directly attached to the presidency. The statement from the rights groups also cites a September 24 announcement by Justice Minister Akin Gürlek establishing specialized prosecution units to monitor suspected online criminal activity, including the spread of disinformation.
Scope of the Blocks
According to figures compiled by Turkey’s Freedom of Expression Association (IFÖD), the 1,270 X accounts affected in September collectively had about 35 million followers. Prominent targets included the independent news site T24—its X account held 1.9 million followers before being blocked on September 29, with the website rendered inaccessible on September 30. Other blocked accounts comprised the news outlet soL Haber, the agency Mezopotamya Ajansi, the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), the LGBTQ+ rights group Kaos GL, and Bianet, whose X account had roughly 400 000 followers. Several organizations were forced to change usernames to evade the restrictions.
Platform and Government Responses
X’s Global Government Affairs channel stated that the company had been compelled to comply with Turkish orders but is challenging them in court to keep the platform accessible in Turkey. X warned that non-compliance could trigger severe sanctions, including throttling of the entire service in the country. The platform has not provided further details on its legal strategy. Turkish authorities have not publicly explained how the cited content threatens public order, and no official response to the rights groups’ appeal has been issued.
Human Rights Groups’ Appeal
A coalition of 21 organizations—including Human Rights Watch, Article 19, Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and IFÖD—issued a joint statement urging X, Meta, and Turkish authorities to halt the blocking orders. The groups argue that the measures violate freedom of expression and that many orders lack specific justification for restricting entire accounts. They called on the platforms to provide affected users with the underlying court decisions and to restore access where restrictions are disproportionate. The coalition also highlighted the broader impact on independent media, academics, journalists, women’s-rights groups, and LGBTQ+ organizations.