Instagram faces potential sanctions in Türkiye over non-compliance with court

Türkiye’s Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc has announced that Instagram could face new sanctions if it continues to ignore Turkish court orders related to content linked to terrorist organizations.

Türkiye banned Instagram on Aug. 2, causing Meta to lose access to the country’s 57.1 million Instagram users, which ranks as the platform’s fifth-largest user base globally. Five days later, Türkiye also banned Roblox, the gaming platform which is still not accessible in Türkiye today.

On Aug. 10, Instagram reached an agreement with Türkiye to lift the ban on the platform. Türkiye restored access to Instagram under the condition that Meta complies with Turkish law.

Tunc emphasized that social media companies must respect Turkish law. He noted that some Instagram accounts and posts were associated with terrorist groups and involved in spreading propaganda. When these cases arise, Tunc said, court orders are sent to Instagram to close the accounts. “The platform must comply with the court decisions,” he stressed.

Failure to take action, he warned, could lead to steps such as bandwidth throttling, part of a “step-by-step” punishment process. While Tunc expressed reluctance to shut down a platform used by millions, he cautioned that the situation could escalate if Instagram does not meet its legal obligations.