Restricting access to X in Türkiye is only a matter of time

After being acquired by Elon Musk and renamed, but still referred to as Twitter by users, access to X in Türkiye is on the verge of being restricted. From what I've learned, bandwidth throttling is imminent for X. But before diving into the details, I'll provide a bit of personal insight.

"I hope not to return."

I closed my X account a week ago. It's something I've been contemplating for a while and mentioned to those close to me from time to time. Some didn't think it was possible, naturally saying, "You can't do it." However, by closing my X account, I experienced "investing in myself" over this past week as a journalist, internet media manager, and content creator. For instance, I returned to professional readings I had put off and neglected. With this newfound motivation, I've started making new plans. X platform was certainly not the sole obstacle to achieving all this, but it was a significant factor. It was distracting. It diminished the importance of current events, developments, and breaking news on social media, not just for me but seemingly for others as well. Most importantly, it became clear that it was the driving force behind bringing chaos into my mind and daily life.

By the way, I've been off Facebook for about 6 months now. I'm so detached that I can't even delete my account because I can't bypass the two-factor authentication. I'm not using it, and the app is not on my phone either. Although Facebook may seem outdated, it still maintains its influence in Türkiye. I've now added the experience of leaving X to my departure from Facebook. I'll strive to establish a minimalist social media regimen. But breaking a 15-year habit, almost an addiction, isn't easy. If the answer to the question "What do you do after putting your phone down?" is "I pick it up again a minute later," then a decision needed to be made. Now, I'm documenting my experiences with the process, working on it, and doing readings.

In summary, I've left Twitter and have been content with the news I need for a week now. I'm spending less time on my phone. As for how much less, let me share: My screen time has decreased by 80% compared to last week. Currently, it's an average of one hour and 25 minutes. Fifty-two minutes of which are still on social media, with 65% on WhatsApp. Instagram accounts for 14 minutes. Not engaging with Twitter has also decreased my Instagram usage. So, I haven't ended up on the Explore page. It turns out that when one link in the social media cycle breaks, access to the others decreases too. As I mentioned, I'm both observing and taking notes. This experience will greatly contribute to a book project I'm working on about how social media transforms individuals and societies. I'll occasionally share my experiences from this column. By the way, when people found out I wasn't on X, some said, "You'll be back." I don't want to argue with others about this; it's about my own determination. But I'm resolute. In response, I say, "I hope not to return."

Elon Musk also didn't appoint a representative.

X doesn't have a representative in Türkiye. It didn't have one before Elon Musk's acquisition either. But now it has to. Because in the amendments made to Law No. 5651 in 2020 and 2022; it was mandated that social network providers with daily access exceeding 1 million in Türkiye must have a representative who is a Turkish citizen residing in our country, and if the representative is a legal entity, it must directly be a branch established as a joint-stock company by the social network provider.

Since X didn't appoint a representative last October, it was fined first 10 million TL, then 30 million TL, and an advertising ban was imposed on July 19, 2023, with a three-month deadline given for the appointment of a representative. According to information obtained from officials, the deadline given to X coincided with the local election process, so it wasn't applied to avoid speculation. The time given to X, owned by Elon Musk, has long since passed.

Not only did X not pay the administrative fines, but it also resists appointing and reporting a representative to Türkiye.

The first stage of sanctions, which banned individuals or legal entities residing in Türkiye from advertising on X, had been in place for some time.

X's failure to show the same care and speed in complying with the European Union's Digital Services Act dated 10.9.2022 in Türkiye is being interpreted as malicious intent.

Moreover, the commitments of X to the fundamental rights and freedoms of Turkish users, such as data security and freedom of expression, are also being questioned.

So what happens now?

Despite the sanctions, X, which has not paid the administrative fines and has not stepped back from its current stance, seems to have no choice but to undergo bandwidth throttling, reducing internet traffic by up to ninety percent.

In this case, X, or Twitter, will become "unusable" in Türkiye.

Since there is a law in our country, and platforms readily comply with similar laws in Europe. They react instantly. Then they should do what is necessary in Türkiye. Or the Republic of Türkiye should do what is necessary. According to information technology experts, the practice of bandwidth throttling, which will give users the experience of "traffic reduced to a single lane," is indeed imminent. Moreover, there is no sensitive election process on the horizon.