Turkey fines Twitter $51,000

ANKARA

Social media site Twitter has been fined 150,000 Turkish lira ($51,000) for failing to remove content allegedly containing "terrorist propaganda, encouraging public acts of violence and hatred," according to information received by Anadolu Agency from Turkey's Information and Communications Technologies Authority (BTK).

The BTK, which invoked the 2007 Law No. 5651 ("On Regulating Broadcasting in the Internet and Fighting Against Crimes Committed through Internet Broadcasting") for the fine, forwarded its decision to the company's headquarters in San Francisco, California and the office of its lawyer in Turkey. If the company does pay the fine, the Turkish finance ministry will act to collect the fine.

Turkish courts have, on past occasions, ordered Twitter to remove illegal contents from its site, but Twitter reportedly did not comply.

Access in Turkey to social media sites, Twitter and Youtube, has been temporarily blocked by court order in the past after the companies reportedly failed to remove illegal content.