Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University

The Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University (AYBU) Faculty of Law organized the "1st International Symposium on New Horizons in Law and Technology," which addressed technological developments in legal detail. The symposium, organized in collaboration with the Presidential Directorate of Communications and titled "Legal Aspects of the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Social Media," is taking place at the Presidential National Library.

The symposium, attended by Vice Presidential Cevdet Yılmaz and Presidential Director of Communications Burhanettin Duran, began with "Legal and Social Reflections of Social Media," followed by "Protection of Personal Data and Social Media in Criminal Law," and ended with "Platforms' Approach to the Use of Intelligence in Social Media."

Speaking at the program's announcement, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Rector Prof. Köseoğlu, stating that the symposium opened up discussion to one of the most pressing issues of the digital age, continued:

"In today's accounts, our currency is at stake in many critical levels, ranging from physical responsibility on social media to the protection of personal data and the fight against disinformation."

AYBU Faculty of Law Dean Prof. Dr. Neslihan Karataş Durmuş also emphasized that technological uncertainty is not merely an economic or technical one, but that the boundaries of law, ethics, and social orders have once again become a healthy, multidimensional phenomenon.

Durmuş said, "The symposium we are holding today provides an opportunity to discuss the productive new legal outcomes of technological developments from a multidisciplinary perspective." "Issues such as social media, intelligence, data security, privacy, cybercrime, disinformation, and the responsibility of combating these problems are not merely technical policies; they are also about human dignity, fundamental rights, and the artificial consequences that must be achieved," he stated.

Presidential Director of Communications Burhanettin Duran, in his speech, highlighted the perceptions generated by fake content produced through deepfake technologies. Communications Director Duran noted that media is being used more and more daily, saying, "Communication methods, information, and collective data speeds are rapidly changing both globally and globally. We are adapting to this change, and at the same time, we are expanding within it." "We are socializing ourselves in chaos, like a flood sweeping us away," he added. Noting that technological advancements have expanded the "field of illusion" that encompasses all of humanity, Director of Communications Duran said, "Fake content produced by deepfake technologies, the illegal use of big data, and all the images depicted by digital platforms all form perceptions, and judgments are then made based on these perceptions."

Recalling that the Presidential Directorate of Communications established the Disinformation Center for this area, Director of Communications Duran emphasized, "Since 2022, we have identified and exposed nearly 2,500 disinformation and perception operations in our center alone. This, of course, reveals the sudden outbreak of the fight against disinformation, which, as Turkey, is the most exposed to."

Director of Communications Duran:

"Our Vice President, Dr. At the "I. International Symposium on New Horizons in Law and Technology," organized by the Presidential Directorate of Communications and Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Faculty of Law at the Presidential Public Library, attended by Cevdet Yılmaz, we evaluated the legal, social, and security dimensions of digitalization. We continue to work tirelessly to create a secure and fair communication ecosystem by expanding our local and national media, expanding digital literacy, and further strengthening our legal infrastructure.

With these sentiments, I hope this symposium will be beneficial and thank everyone who contributed to it."