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Twitter, Pinterest face ad ban in Turkey under new social media law

The Turkish government issued advertising bans for Twitter, Periscope and Pinterest Tuesday when the platforms refrained from complying with a controversial social media law human rights advocates say will stifle free speech online.

In this picture taken on September 30, 2020 shows logos of social networking websites displayed on a mobile phone's screen in Istanbul. - Turkey on Thursday starts life under a new social media law that threatens to erase the local presence of Facebook and Twitter should they fail to take down contentious posts.The new legislation was pushed through by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AKP party and follows the government's crackdown on opposition newspapers and television channels. (Photo by Ozan KOS
This picture taken on Sept. 30, 2020, shows the logos of social networking websites displayed on a mobile phone's screen in Istanbul. — OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

ISTANBUL — The Turkish government imposed advertising bans on Twitter, its live video-streaming service Periscope and Pinterest on Tuesday over the platforms’ noncompliance with a controversial social media law human rights advocates say could stifle online free speech.

The decision, announced Tuesday, comes after the social media platforms refrained from appointing local representatives to handle government requests, as required by a social media bill passed in July 2020.

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