Insults, Threats and Reputational Harm on Social Media: What Are Your Rights?
This article provides general information. Legislation, time limits and amounts may change over time; obtain an up-to-date assessment of your specific situation.
Social media posts, comments, private messages and statements in online groups may give rise to legal disputes. Insults directed at a person, threats, baseless accusations of crime or content damaging their reputation are assessed, depending on the circumstances, under criminal law and the rules protecting personality rights.
However, harsh criticism, negative comments and unlawful insults are not the same thing. The content and context of the expression, the person targeted, the reach of the post and freedom of expression must be assessed together.
What evidence should be preserved in a social media insult case?
Taking a screenshot of a post may be useful; however, relying only on a screenshot may not be sufficient in every case. The content’s link, username, date and time, the complete message if available, and other information showing that the post could be viewed should also be preserved. Where necessary, a digital examination or other lawful methods of preserving evidence may be considered.
It is important to preserve evidence without delay in case the content is deleted. However, accessing other people’s accounts without permission or obtaining private correspondence unlawfully while collecting evidence may give rise to new legal issues.
Where can someone report an insult or threat?
Depending on the nature of the incident, a report may be made to law enforcement authorities or the Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor. Since some offences require a complaint and have specific complaint periods, the applicable deadlines should be checked separately for the specific case.
Where personality rights have been violated, legal avenues consistent with the legislation in force may also be considered to have the content removed or access restricted. In addition, a claim for non-pecuniary damages may be relevant if the requirements are met. Which avenue may be used must be determined based on the nature of the content and the legislation in force on the date of the incident.
It is important for people subjected to insults or threats on social media to preserve evidence and identify the appropriate avenue for recourse instead of responding in anger. The legal assessment must be made on the basis of the entire post and the circumstances of the incident.
Update — 29 October 2026 — Insults on Social Media and the Reposting of Images
Comments made on social media, allegations of insult and the unauthorized publication of personal images can become the subject of criminal investigations. Attorney Gizem Gonce explained the boundaries between freedom of expression, personality rights and criminal liability.
Is insulting someone on social media a crime?
Attorney Gizem Gonce: Article 125 of the Turkish Criminal Code regulates, subject to certain conditions, as the offence of insult the imputation of acts or facts that attack a person’s honor, reputation or dignity, as well as expressions that amount to cursing or abuse.
However, not every harsh criticism is an insult. The content and context of the expression, its target and the circumstances of the specific case must be taken into account. Freedom of expression is also considered in the legal assessment.
Does posting on a publicly accessible social media account increase the penalty?
Attorney Gizem Gonce: To assess whether an insult was public, it may matter whether the post could in fact be seen by a wide audience. Court of Cassation decisions concerning the visibility of social media accounts also draw attention to this assessment.
If a person has previously posted their own image, may others also share that image?
Attorney Gizem Gonce: The fact that a person previously posted their own image does not give others the right to republish it without limit. The nature of the image, whether it falls within the scope of personal data, the purpose of the sharing and the conditions for lawfulness must be assessed.
In a decision of the 12th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation that came into focus in 2026, a conviction concerning the reposting, without consent, of images of an assault was upheld. This decision should not be interpreted to mean that every repost is automatically a crime.
What should a person do if subjected to an insult or unauthorized sharing?
Attorney Gizem Gonce: First, the content, link, posting date and account details should be recorded in an appropriate manner. Where necessary, lawful preservation of digital evidence should be carried out and the option of applying to the public prosecutor’s office should be considered. Depending on the specific case, legal remedies may also be pursued to have the content removed or to protect personality rights.
Criminal liability is determined not merely by whether a post is found upsetting, but in light of the legal elements of the relevant offence and the evidence.