Turkish prosecutor seeks imprisonment of TikTok streamer for ‘obscenity'
A Turkish prosecutor has sought a prison sentence of up to two years for a TikTok streamer for broadcasting “obscene content.” The streamer was brought under custody and released after questioning at the end of November.
Duvar English
An Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on Dec. 20 sought a prison sentence between six months and two years for TikTok user “Laz Kızı” for livestreaming “obscene content” in exchange for money.
The user drew attention after she declared she had earned 160,000 Turkish liras ($5,500) through the live streams, and a prosecutor’s investigation ensued. She has since deactivated all social media accounts, according to reporting by Demirören News Agency.
Police had brought in the user for questioning in late November. In her statement, the user said that she was not aware her livestreams violated any laws and that she earned a total of 30,000 liras ($1000) through virtual TikTok gifts.
The prosecutor seeks the TikTok user’s punishment for violating Article 226 of the Penal Code of Turkey, which seeks prison sentences for “any person who broadcasts or publishes obscene written or audio-visual material.”
The live streams did not contain nudity but featured the TikTok user wearing revealing clothing.
Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that 1,332 TikTok accounts were investigated due to posts featuring obscenity and child abuse, leading to the arrest of 13 account managers in the last six months.
The Turkish Parliamentary Commission on Digital Media on Dec. 7 heard TikTok's regional manager regarding obscenity allegations on the platform, where commission head Hüseyin Yayman from the ruling AKP said that family was more important to them than freedoms.