Turkey parliament passes controversial social media bill: Anadolu news agency

Ankara: Turkey's parliament on Wednesday passed a controversial bill which would give the government greater control of social media, the official Anadolu news agency reported.

Under the new law, social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter would have to ensure they have local representatives in Turkey and to comply with Turkish court orders over removal of certain content or face heavy fines.

Critics are concerned over the legislation's impact on freedom of speech.