The Reverse Evolution of Content Regulation in TurkeyIn recent years, the European Union has made significant strides in regulating digital content. Laws like the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), the Digital Services Act (DSA), and Germany’s NetzDG (Network Enforcement Act) aimed to increase the accountability of online platforms, protect users from harmful content, and promote transparency. These regulations were designed to safeguard user rights while ensuring content providers could be held responsible for what they hosted. But like any well-intentioned legislation, these rules also sparked unique challenges across Europe. Yet the most dramatic consequences didn’t emerge in Europe itself, but rather in how these frameworks were adopted—and distorted—by countries like Turkey.European Content Regulation: Intentions vs. OutcomesThe AVMSD and DSA were built on goals such as protecting minors, curbing disinformation, and limiting hate speech. AVMSD, for instance, imposed a 30% quota for European content on streaming platforms, introduced age restrictions, and placed limits on hate speech. Germany’s NetzDG law required social media platforms to remove illegal content within 24 hours of notification.However, these efforts weren’t free of criticism even within the EU. Differences in interpretation among member states, platforms’ resistance to algorithmic transparency, and concerns about potential infringements on free speech all raised red flags. In Germany, NetzDG’s strict timelines and penalties led platforms like YouTube and Facebook to over-filter content, erring on the side of caution and triggering concerns over overreach and self-censorship.Turkey’s Version: From Transparency to ControlWhile the EU grappled with the delicate balance between regulation and freedom, Turkey imported these frameworks not as tools of transparency and accountability, but as instruments of surveillance and control. In 2020, amendments to Turkey’s Internet Law No. 5651 introduced mandatory local representatives for social media companies, steep fines, and takedown obligations. These powers were further expanded in 2022 with the so-called “Disinformation Law,” which made it easier to penalize even news content under the pretext of fighting fake news.Whereas European laws encouraged transparency, Turkey used similar models to deepen control. Independent oversight is virtually nonexistent; regulatory bodies like Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) operate under strong political influence, and their decisions often reflect partisan loyalty. Content removal requests are frequently enforced without judicial review, and access bans can be implemented within hours by authorities like Information Technologies and Communications Institution (BTK) or <s fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">local</s> courts.Imported Laws, Amplified ProblemsWhile Europe continues to struggle to find a balance between free expression and harmful content, Turkey has decisively tipped the scale against freedom of speech. EU regulations push platforms toward transparency and user accountability; Turkey’s approach emphasizes rapid takedowns, punitive measures, and silencing dissent.Instead of addressing illegal content, Turkey’s adaptation has created a legal shield against political criticism. Even as European users saw limited impact from laws like NetzDG—where Twitter posts often remained untouched—Turkey has censored hundreds of thousands of posts under similar legal frameworks. European regulators, despite their advanced technical capacity, find these laws difficult to enforce fairly. In contrast, Turkey has handed over the same complex regulatory apparatus to politicized institutions with little concern for rights-based enforcement.Conclusion: Copied Laws, Inverted OutcomesContent regulations in Europe were shaped amid deep debates on free speech and democratic values. In Turkey, those same regulations have morphed into tools of political control. Even when introduced with good intentions, such laws quickly become weaponized in a landscape lacking independent oversight and dominated by polarization.If Turkey truly hopes to benefit from European models, it must go beyond copying the legal text. What needs to be replicated is the democratic culture, institutional balance, and commitment to rights that give those laws their legitimacy. Without that foundation, imported laws don’t bring progress—they just deepen repression.* Orçun Koçak

The Freedom Observer

• <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/4/22962384/snapchat-heatmap-ukraine-disabled-privacy-advertising" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Snapchat turned off its "heatmap" feature</a> in Ukraine as a safety precaution, as the feature allows for users to see the density of people taking photos in locations around a map.<ul fr-original-style="" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Furthermore:&nbsp;<a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/6/22964418/tiktok-suspends-creation-new-video-content-russia-ukraine" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">TikTok is temporarily suspending new video uploads</a> and livestreams on its app in Russia, citing Moscow’s newly-passed “fake news” law as the reason for the change. TikTok said it had no other choice while it reviewed “the safety implications of this law.”</li></ul>

Aposto World

• <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-says-it-prevented-border-breach-ukraine-kyiv-calls-it-fake-news-2022-02-21/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Russia’s military said it destroyed</a> two Ukrainian armored vehicles and killed five of its personnel for breaching Russia’s territory, a claim that Ukraine dismissed as fake news.

ABD medya ekosistemi birçok anlamda tüm dünyayı etkileme gücüne sahip. İşin teknoloji ve tarz boyutu bir yana, konulara yaklaşımları ya da gazetecilik üzerine tartışmaları dünyanın hemen her yerinde bir şekilde etkili olabiliyor. Ancak bu ekosistemin bazen ne kadar tuhaflaşabildiğini görmediğimiz zaman, buradan yayılan bazı şeylere olması gerekenden fazla önem atfedebiliyoruz.Geçtiğimiz hafta boyunca neredeyse herkesin gündemi olan olay da bunun en iyi örneklerinden birisi. Kısaca özetlemek gerekirse, Bloomberg'in CEO'su Justin Smith ve BuzzFeed News'de sekiz yılın ardından New York Times'ta medya üzerine yazmaya başlayan Ben Smith, mevcut işlerini bırakıp yeni bir yayın kuracaklarını <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.axios.com/ben-justin-smith-news-startup-0d0cde01-893b-4103-9f2a-ae498ac82625.html" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; text-decoration-skip: objects; touch-action: manipulation; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">duyurdular</a>. Hedef kitleleri ise dünyada İngilizce bilen eğitimli <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/04/business/ben-smith-new-york-times.html" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; text-decoration-skip: objects; touch-action: manipulation; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">herkes</a>. Bunun dışında yeni yayına dair başka hiçbir detay yok.Sadece bu haber herkesin üzerine uzun uzun konuşması için yetti. Twitter'da <a fr-original-style="" href="https://twitter.com/davidakaye/status/1478437935749816320" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; text-decoration-skip: objects; touch-action: manipulation; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">zincirler</a> ve birçok <a fr-original-style="" href="https://twitter.com/Zielina/status/1478908749993721861" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; text-decoration-skip: objects; touch-action: manipulation; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">tartışma</a>, farklı <a fr-original-style="" href="https://puck.news/news-on-the-ben-smith-news/" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; text-decoration-skip: objects; touch-action: manipulation; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">yayınlarda</a> <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2022/ben-smith-justin-smith-project-coda/" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; text-decoration-skip: objects; touch-action: manipulation; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">yorum yazıları</a> ve daha <a fr-original-style="" href="https://mailchi.mp/poynter/mw72kkxxww?e=1d9c22bd10" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; text-decoration-skip: objects; touch-action: manipulation; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">birçok şey</a>. Bütün bunların hepsinin sebebi ise iki meşhur ismin birlikte bir işe girişmeye karar vermesi. Üstelik daha kendileri bile bu işin nasıl bir şey olacağından <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22867616/ben-smith-justin-smith-new-york-times-bloomberg" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; text-decoration-skip: objects; touch-action: manipulation; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">emin değil</a>.Belki birkaç cümleyle de olsa iddialı bir iş olacağı hissini vermelerinin bunda payı olabilir. Sonuçta dünyada İngilizce bilen herkese hitap etmek gibi bir cümle doğrudan en üst seviyedeki yayınlara rakip olacağınız anlamına geliyor. Ama henüz alan adı bile satın almamış bir yayın için bu kadar tartışmanın anlamı var mı? Ya da cevapların hemen hepsinin "henüz bir şey belli değil" olduğu bir röportaj yapıp <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/ben-smith-cant-say-what-his-new-media-venture-is" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; text-decoration-skip: objects; touch-action: manipulation; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">yayınlamanın</a>?ABD medya camiasında en ufak konulardan bile büyük tartışmalar çıkartmak, her gelişmeye kırılma noktası muamelesi yapmak artık doğal bir şey hâline gelmiş durumda. Bu sorun dalgalar hâlinde dünyanın geri kalanına da yayılınca doğal olarak benzer şeyleri başka yerlerde de görmeye başlıyoruz.Bu abartılı yaklaşımların sonucu da genellikle ya zaman ve enerjinin boşa harcanması oluyor ya da konunun tamamen kontrolden çıkması. "Fake news" bunun iyi bir örneği olabilir. ABD'de kavramı o kadar büyütüp o kadar esnettiler ki en sonunda tamamen anlamını yitirdi, ardından "artık fake news dememeliyiz" yazıları yazılmaya başlandı.&nbsp;Bu yüzden özellikle ABD medyasında olan bitenleri incelerken onların bir anlık heyecanına kapılmamak ve daha sakin olmak çok önemli.* Çünkü haftaya daha heyecanlı başka bir haber görecek ve bunu anında unutacaklar. Onları takip eden herkesin aklında da "madem bu kadar önemliydi neden hemen peşini bıraktınız" sorusu kalacak.&nbsp;*Aslında bu tavsiyeyi hayatın her alanında, özellikle de sosyal medyada, uygulamak lazım ama konudan sapmak istemedim.&nbsp;😄

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Olmayan Bir Yayını Konuşmak

📚 <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/22/world/europe/belarus-migrants-facebook-fake-news.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Read</a>: How fake news on Facebook helped fuel a border crisis in Europe.

fake news ile ilgili hikayeler