Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan made a statement regarding the "Privacy Guide in Digital Games" published by the Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK).
In a post on his Twitter account, Sayan stated that children in the world and in Türkiye are ignoring the concept of privacy on digital gaming platforms. Expressing that the Guide provides guiding information for parents in this regard, Sayan emphasized the importance of parents being sensitive about which games are suitable for their children's developmental levels, drawing attention to the need to pay attention first to the age ratings of the games to protect privacy in digital games.
Deputy Minister: We Must Control Game Flow and Advertisement Contents
Warning to be cautious about chat applications in games, Sayan said, “If we are informed about the features of the games our children play and know who they communicate with, we can be more certain about whether our children are safe. We must control the game flow and advertisement contents. Although digital games may seem harmless at the beginning, they can contain negative contents in later sections. Additionally, advertisements containing profanity, violence, obscenity, and the like may appear to players. We must be as sensitive as possible regarding in-game purchases. In-app purchases in some games become attractive for children. Our young ones can unwittingly invest large amounts of money by just pressing a button to level up in the game. We should not share our personal information in the games being played. Malicious individuals in online games pursue methods to steal players' personal information.”
Drawing attention to the fact that the obtained information is used in cyberbullying and account thefts, Sayan stated that a nickname not containing the real name should be chosen for the games played before sharing personal data, real email addresses or personal information should not be shared, separate usernames and passwords should be set for each game login, and children should be encouraged to tell their parents about any problematic situations they encounter during the game.
Pointing out that the Guide covers many topics in full detail, Sayan said, "Parents can access the Digital Privacy Guide via the link 'https://www.guvenliweb.org.tr/haber-detay/btk-dijital-oyunlarda-mahremiyet-rehberini-yayinladi' to protect their own and their children's digital privacy and security and to gain knowledge on this matter. In the boundless world of the internet, we must do more than our best to protect our nation and our children against digital dangers."
Sayan also noted that the state continues its efforts comprehensively with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, BTK, and all relevant institutions.