Turkey's Supreme Court says sharing private message screenshots can carry prison terms

Turkey's highest criminal court, the Yargıtay, issued a precedent‑setting ruling that sharing screenshots of private messages without the sender's consent may constitute a criminal offence. The court held that distributing such images of WhatsApp, SMS, Telegram or similar communications can lead to imprisonment of one to three years, depending on the circumstances, under Article 132 of the Turkish Penal Code which protects the confidentiality of communications.

The decision stresses that each case must be examined individually, considering factors such as the purpose of sharing, the presence of consent, and whether the screenshot is presented as evidence to authorities. While indiscriminate posting on social media may be punishable, providing the image to law‑enforcement as proof of a crime is not automatically illegal. Legal commentators noted the ruling reinforces privacy protections, and public opinion is divided, with some users citing the need for evidence and others condemning the violation of personal privacy.