Turkey’s Account-Blocking Orders Put Platform Governance Under Pressure

Ankara, 13 October 2026 – Twenty-one human-rights organisations have urged social-media platforms to resist Turkish court orders blocking hundreds of accounts belonging to journalists, academics, activists and civil-society groups. The appeal places technology companies between local legal exposure and their stated commitments to freedom of expression, creating a governance test with consequences well beyond Turkey.

The groups said Turkish authorities had ordered X to restrict access to at least 1,270 accounts in recent weeks. Targets reportedly included independent publications, journalists, academics, LGBTQ organisations and other non-governmental groups. The authorities have cited public safety, crime prevention and public order, while critics argue that many orders lack a clear explanation connecting specific content to those risks.