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Erdogan vows to tighten social media controls after insults on family

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he will to introduce new measures to hold social media platforms accountable after his family members were insulted online.
A picture representing a mugshot of the twitter bird is seen on a smart phone with a Turkish flag on March 26, 2014 in Istanbul. A Turkish court on Wednesday overturned the government's controversial Twitter ban imposed after audio recordings spread via the social media site implicated Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a corruption scandal. AFP PHOTO / OZAN KOSE / AFP PHOTO / OZAN KOSE        (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)

ISTANBUL — Social media companies are once again facing the prospect of state regulation in Turkey, and this time digital rights advocates believe lawmakers will follow through on threats to impose tighter controls on the platforms.

In a televised speech Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced his party would introduce legislation requiring social media companies to establish a legal presence in the country, where they would need to abide by Turkish laws and domestic court decisions.

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