BTK canceled the licenses of five ISPs and imposed a fine of 25 million lira on three of them.

Information Technologies and Communication Board (BTK) canceled the licenses of five internet service providers (ISPs) who reported incomplete and incorrect login records of their subscribers within the scope of laws no. 5397 and 5651. According to the news of Kemalettin Bulamacı from BT World, these companies include Arat Telekomünikasyon, Asil Fibernet, Merkez Wifi, MyWifi and Poyraz Wifi. With the same decision, millions of fines were imposed on SuperOnline, TurkNet and VodafoneNet.

BTK announced the board decision numbered 2024/İK-SDD/230 to the public on Friday, July 26, following the Technical Infrastructure Audit carried out by the Sectoral Inspection Department on May 20, 2024. Within the scope of this decision, the authorization certificates of five ISPs were canceled due to the identified violations. Additionally, serious penalties were imposed on TurkNet, SuperOnline and VodafoneNet.

Millions of fines and violations from BTK

The penalties imposed by BTK were aimed at service providers who did not fulfill their obligations in accordance with laws no. 5397 and 5651. TurkNet, SuperOnline and VodafoneNet were decided to pay a total fine of 25 million 826 thousand 640 lira and 55 kuruş.

• SuperOnline: 17 million 675 thousand 149 lira and 4 kuruş fine (7 violations)
• TurkNet: 6 million 126 thousand 336 lira and 23 kuruş fine (13 violations)
• VodafoneNet: 2 million 25 thousand 155 lira and 28 kuruş fine (2 violations)
• Five ISPs whose licenses were revoked: 894 thousand 174 liras and 50 kuruş fine

Judicial remedies are available for all administrative fines imposed by BTK. Penalties and license cancellations may be taken to court by the relevant ISPs. These decisions of BTK aim to increase the quality and security of internet services. Sanctions are expected to be a deterrent for other companies in the sector.

BTK stated that it will continue its inspections to ensure the implementation of regulations and laws in the sector. It was emphasized that ISPs must report user data and login records completely and accurately. Otherwise, they were warned that they may face similar sanctions.

These decisions can be considered as an important step to increase the security of internet services in Turkey and ensure the protection of users’ personal data. BTK’s strict inspections and penalties may encourage all players in the industry to be more careful and compliant.