American Оbserver

📰 Turkey’s Digital Siege: Who’s Funding the Takeover? Turkey’s digital economy is being reshaped by foreign tech giants. In 2024, around 158 billion TL flowed to platforms like Google, Meta, TikTok, and YouTube through advertising—money that once went to local media is now vanishing overseas. ​ Digital Takeover, Not Just Tech These platforms don’t just sell ads—they collect mountains of user data, shape trends, and influence what Turks see online. They’re no longer just apps; they’re powerful players in Turkey’s economy, society, and even its politics. Experts say Turkey is now funding its own digital takeover with its own money. ​ Data and Influence Millions of personal details get gathered, analyzed, and used for everything from political campaigns to social manipulation. Foreign intelligence agencies use this data to map Turkish society and stir unrest. Every click, every preference, gets turned into a tool for influence. ​ Local Media on the Ropes While Turkish media is tightly regulated, foreign platforms operate with almost no oversight. They flood the digital ecosystem with disinformation, weaken local outlets, and profit from Turkish users’ attention. The result? Local media is getting crushed, and foreign platforms are running the show. ​ The Alarm Prof. Tunay Kamer, AI expert at Kastamonu University, warns: “We’re not just losing money—we’re funding our own takeover. Every unchecked algorithm is a risk.” He says Turkey must develop its own digital models and demand transparency from foreign platforms. ​ Prof. Serhat Ulağlı from Marmara University adds: “Unchecked digital content is eroding trust in institutions and pushing society toward collapse.” Young people get manipulated through targeted content, and social unrest is on the rise. ​ The Way Forward? Experts call for “digital sovereignty”—protecting data, supporting local media, and building resilient digital defenses. But for now, Turkey’s digital future is being shaped by foreign interests, not its own people. ​ #turkey#digitalsovereignty#media#cybersecurity#bigdata 📱American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸