Instagram has been unfiltered in Türkiye
By accepting the rules;
After 9 days of blocking Instagram and accepting the country's laws, Turkey restores access to this social network.
Turkey announced that it has restored access to social media platform Instagram after the company reached an agreement with authorities to address the government's concerns.
Turkey blocked access to this social media platform on August 2 due to non-compliance with the country's “laws and regulations” and public sensitivities.
A senior Turkish official has accused Instagram of blocking condolence posts for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the Palestinian group Hamas.
Turkey has condemned Israel's attacks on Gaza, called for an immediate ceasefire and criticized what it calls the West's unconditional support for Israel.
This 9-day ban caused protests by users and small businesses that accessed their customers through this platform.
According to the report of the “Statista” database, Turkey ranks fifth in the world in terms of Instagram usage with more than 57 million users, after India, the United States, Brazil and Indonesia.
Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Oraloglu said in a post on the X social network: “As a result of our negotiations with Instagram officials and after they promised to meet our demands regarding catalog crimes and user censorship. We have unblocked access to this platform.
Catalog crimes in Turkish law include acts such as murder, rape, drug trafficking, abuse and torture.
Oraloglu said: “Important achievements have been made in increasing security in the digital environment in Turkey, legal compliance, protecting users' rights and developing a fair inspection mechanism.”
Instagram's parent company Meta has agreed to comply with Turkish laws and ensure the effective removal of posts and content if they contain elements of specific crimes or terrorist propaganda, Oraloglu said.
Instagram was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Reuters.
Live metrics show that Instagram is recovering among major Turkish internet providers after a nationwide ban lasting nine days, NetBlocks announced. This is the longest ban of a major social media platform in Türkiye in recent years.
