Türkiye fines digital streaming platforms for moral violations

Türkiye’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) fined several digital streaming platforms on September 18 for violating moral and family values.

RTÜK has imposed sanctions on Netflix, Prime Video, MUBI, Disney XD, HBO Max, and other platforms. If they fail to remove content deemed "obscene," RTUK will fine them 3% of their monthly revenue in addition to a separate penalty, as reported by Caliber.Az, citing the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network.

The Turkish regulator has ordered the blocking of films and series that depict LGBT+ people in Türkiye.

“The sanctions were issued on the grounds that the platforms violated the provisions stating that ‘broadcasts cannot be contrary to the national and moral values of society, general morality, and the principle of protecting the family’ and ‘cannot be obscene’,” Keser said.

Türkiye’s state-led Anadolu Agency reported that the latest fines were imposed as part of the 2025 Family Year Policy of the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In August 2019, a regulation change in Türkiye gave the RTUK authority to oversee digital streaming platforms, in a move designed to increase government control. Following this change, it imposed several fines on digital platforms in parallel with other government moves to increase pressure and censorship of media and the internet.

By Vugar Khalilov