Facebook to appoint local rep in Turkey to comply with social media law

Facebook announced Monday that it has begun the process of appointing a legal representative in Turkey in order to comply with a new social media law in the country.

The law gives authorities the ability to remove content from platforms, Reuters reports, a step above blocking access to certain content as had been done previously.

Critics have expressed concern that the new law could shut down dissenters, the outlet noted. Companies that do not follow the regulation could have their bandwidth cut down by 90 percent, blocking access to their sites.

In a statement to Reuters, Facebook said it would not be changing its community standards or its process of reviewing government requests.

“We will withdraw the representative if we face pressure on either,” said Facebook.

The company stated it was committed to maintaining free expression, among other human rights, in Turkey.

Facebook joins fellow media company YouTube in its decision to comply with Turkey’s new law. Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have all faced fines from Turkey in the past for not complying with the rule.

In December, YouTube, owned by Google’s Alphabet Inc, said it would comply with the new law, stating it respected the laws and regulations of the countries in which it operates.

“We have been able to find a way forward and will commence the process of appointing a local representative legal entity in compliance with the law, without compromising our values,” YouTube said in a statement at the time.