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Turkish judicial rulings on digital privacy

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2026-08-25 11:29 UTC → 2026-08-28 07:46 UTC · added removed

Turkey’s highest criminal court, the Yargıtay, has established legal precedents regarding the unauthorized distribution of personal data and private communications. In July 2026, the court ruled that sharing screenshots of private messages from platforms such as WhatsApp, SMS, or Telegram without consent may constitute a criminal offense under Article 132 of the Turkish Penal Code. This ruling can lead to prison terms of one to three years, though the court noted that providing such images to law enforcement as evidence is not automatically illegal. In August 2026, the Court of Cassation upheld a prison sentence for an individual who reposted videos of an assault on social media. The case originated in Bursa, where a defendant downloaded footage of a victim being beaten—which the victim had originally posted to their own account—and redistributed it on a separate profile. Although a local court initially acquitted the defendant, the Bursa Regional Court of Justice overturned the decision, and the Court of Cassation’s 12th Penal Chamber subsequently upheld a sentence of 1 year and 8 months for the crime of “unlawfully giving or obtaining data.” The court clarified that even if a person has previously shared their own personal data online, it does not strip that information of its status as personal data, nor does it grant third parties the right to redistribute that information it without consent. The defendant received a sentence of 1 year and 8 months for the crime Legal experts noted that any visual content making an individual identifiable is legally classified as personal data, regardless of “unlawfully giving or obtaining data.” its public accessibility.

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  1. 2026-08-28 07:46 UTC Turkish judicial rulings on digital privacy
  2. 2026-08-25 11:29 UTC Turkish judicial rulings on digital privacy

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