From Ban to Reinstatement: Turkey’s Instagram Saga Unfolded
For some time now, the content on social media platforms, especially Instagram, has been going through a new wave of censorship.
With the tragedies occurring in Gaza and the constant onslaught of Lebanon, a lot of the content on Instagram has to pass through this metaphorical sieve, with most not making it to the other side. That is the case with Turkey, a country that applied a ban on Instagram back on August 2.
The Story Behind The Ban
Back on August 2nd, Turkey applied an Instagram ban without giving any official explanation. The ban was implemented after a senior aide criticized the types of posts that have been circulating across Instagram about the death of the political chief of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh. The issue was that Instagram was blocking condolence posts following the assassination of Haniyeh.
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu spoke up about the platform by saying, “We warned Instagram about certain offences. We want some rules to be followed … We intervene when they disregard legal rules and public sensitivities.”
Since that day, Turkey has blocked access to Instagram across its nation because the platform failed to comply with the country’s laws and rules.
What Changed?
On August 10th, the country decided to reinstate access to Instagram. They lifted the ban because Instagram agreed to Ankara’s requests regarding criminal activity and censorship.
What About TikTok?
Beyond Instagram, there are even talks of blocking access to TikTok. Hüseyin Yayman, the head of the Parliament’s Digital Media Commission told the Demirören news agency that the content on TikTok does not comply with national and universal laws.
Along with that, Yayman said that TikTok needs to begin to enforce policies that follow Turkey’s moral values and customs.
With all that being said, today, the connection between politics and communication through social media platforms continues to grow and change the tapestry of what we are exposed to on a daily basis.
The question is, how do we unmask the truth before it passes through the metaphorical sieve that is censorship? It is a question that will continue to confound us for years to come.
