Azerbaijan bans social media accounts for children under 16

President Ilham Aliyev has approved amendments to Azerbaijan's Law on Information, Informatization and Protection of Information introducing new rules governing minors' access to social media platforms.

According to the presidential website, individuals under the age of 16 will not be permitted to create personal digital accounts on online platforms.

To enforce the age restrictions, platform providers will be required to implement technical methods for age declaration and verification. Providers must also use information such as bank card details, email addresses and mobile phone numbers to obtain the consent of a legal guardian before allowing individuals aged 16 to 18 to create a personal digital account.

Under the amendments, legal guardians will be able to manage the content and advertising displayed on accounts belonging to users aged 16 to 18, as well as control the time they spend on the platform. Providers must ensure their platforms include the functionality necessary to enable such parental controls.

The law also requires providers to conduct repeat age verification if there are reasonable grounds to question a user's declared age. If age-related requirements are found to have been breached, the individual's access to their digital account must be restricted immediately.

By Aghakazim Guliyev