Turkey’s telecommunications authority blocked access to the popular messaging platform Discord on Wednesday, citing the company’s refusal to share information about alleged criminal content.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced that an Ankara court ordered the ban due to “sufficient suspicion” that Discord was being used to commit crimes related to “child sexual abuse and obscenity.” Tunc emphasized the government’s determination to protect young people from harmful online content.
The ban follows public outrage over the recent killing of two women by a 19-year-old man in Istanbul. Turkish media reported that some Discord users had praised the killings in the aftermath of the incident.
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu explained that Discord’s nature makes it challenging for authorities to monitor and intervene when illegal content is shared. “Since Discord refuses to share its own information, including IP addresses and content, with our security units, we were forced to block access,” Uraloglu stated.
The move comes just a day after Russia’s telecom watchdog announced a similar ban on Discord, citing concerns about terrorist and extremist activities on the platform.
Discord, a US-based social media platform with approximately 150 million users, is particularly popular among video game enthusiasts. The company acknowledged the reports of inaccessibility in Russia and Turkey, stating that their team is investigating the situation.
This is not the first time Turkey has taken action against social media platforms. In August, the country banned access to the video game platform Roblox, citing content harmful to children. Turkey has also previously blocked access to Instagram for several days.
The Discord ban highlights ongoing tensions between social media companies and governments over content moderation, user privacy, and national security concerns. As Turkey continues to tighten its grip on online platforms, the move raises questions about digital rights and freedom of expression in the country.
