Turkish students sentenced to prison over social media prank

Two university students in Çanakkale, Turkey, have been sentenced to 1 year and 8 months in prison for violating personal data privacy. The incident began as a prank where the students printed a roommate's social media profile picture and posted it at a nearby bus stop.

While a local court initially acquitted the students, ruling that the photo was not a private image, the Court of Cassation (Yargıtay) overturned the decision. The higher court determined that the students had unlawfully obtained and distributed personal data. Following a retrial, the Çanakkale 5th Criminal Court of First Instance issued the prison sentences, a decision which has now been upheld by the 12th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation.