News Round-Up: Turkey Forces ID Login for Social Media; Mexico Cracks Down on Cash Payments; Man Arrested in France After AI Chat
Twice a week, the editorial team of Freedom Research compiles a round-up of news that caught our eye – or what felt like under-reported aspects of news deserving more attention.
Over the past few days, the following topics attracted our attention:
Turkey Enforces ID Login for Social Media
Mexico Moves to Restrict Cash Payments
Man Arrested in France After AI Conversation
Turkey Enforces ID Login for Social Media
Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced in early April that a new requirement will be introduced within three months, obligating Turkish citizens to provide their national identification number when logging into social media platforms. According to the minister, the measure aims to curb online abuse, disinformation, and criminal activity. Accounts that fail to comply during the three-month transition period will be closed, including fake and bot accounts, reports Turkish Minute.
Akın Gürlek explained that verified identities will make it possible to hold users legally accountable for spreading harmful content, inciting harassment, attacking individuals, or engaging in illegal activity online. The minister believes that anonymity has enabled intimidation campaigns, the spread of false information, and attacks on both public figures and private individuals. Therefore, clearer accountability would help create a safer digital environment.
If parliament approves the bill, the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) will be responsible for enforcing the law. Existing accounts may receive a three-month transition period, after which unverified accounts will face restrictions or closure. According to Gürlek, the measure forms part of a broader legal reform aimed at adapting the justice system to the risks of rapidly evolving digital platforms. Turkey is also planning to tighten other digital regulations. For example, parliament is considering a separate bill that would ban social media for users under 15 and introduce mandatory age verification.
Freedom of speech advocates argue that Turkish authorities have for years been strengthening control over online information through new laws and monitoring of users’ social media activity. The Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD) claims that the government has already blocked access to approximately 1.2 million websites and social media posts. The association noted that technology companies operating in Turkey must appoint local representatives and are required to remove content at the authorities’ request. Non-compliance can result in advertising bans or reduced internet speeds.
Mexico Moves to Restrict Cash Payments
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced in her opening remarks at the 89th Banking Conference, held in early April, that the government will ban cash payments at gas stations and toll booths by the end of this year and make digital payments mandatory. The broader goal is to fully digitize Mexico’s economy, writes Mexico News Daily.
“This will allow us to move forward with the digitization of the country through other schemes,” Sheinbaum added. According to the president, her government’s priority is to create an environment conducive to sustainable economic growth.
Sheinbaum also praised recent improvements to the CoDi (Cobro Digital) system, which now allows access via mobile phones without service fees. CoDi is a real-time digital payment platform developed by the Bank of Mexico (Banxico). The government also plans to involve Banco del Bienestar - a state-owned development bank that provides financial services and promotes financial inclusion, particularly among recipients of social assistance and people living in remote or marginalized communities - in the digitalization effort.
The banking sector in Mexico has lobbied heavily for digital banking and to significantly reduce the use of cash, particularly in public services. Currently, however, cash is still widely used in Mexico: approximately 80% of transactions are conducted in cash.
Man Arrested in France After AI Conversation
A 37-year-old man was arrested in Strasbourg, France, after he mentioned during a conversation with an artificial intelligence chatbot his intention to buy a weapon to “kill a CIA, Mossad, or DGSI intelligence agent.” These alarming messages quickly caught the attention of the U.S. FBI, which reported them to the French platform Pharos - the official channel where instances of illegal online content and suspicious behavior can be reported - as detailed by L’Est Républicain and other regional newspapers.
However, no weapons were found during the search of the suspect’s home. As a result, he was released from police custody shortly afterward and the criminal case was closed without further charges. According to authorities, the man had a known history of mental health issues and had reportedly been under medical follow-up; following his arrest, he was placed in a psychiatric hospital.
Following his arrest, the man explained that he had simply wanted to test the reliability of artificial intelligence and the level of oversight applied to conversations with such systems. In any case, his question received a clear answer: conversations with artificial intelligence appear to be monitored, and it seems that rapid action can be taken - including internationally - when serious threats are detected. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has publicly stated, for example, that in “very rare” cases involving serious and direct threats to safety, conversations with the AI may be forwarded to the relevant authorities. “If human reviewers determine that a case involves an imminent threat of serious physical harm to others, we may refer it to law enforcement,” the company has emphasized.