The Azerbaijani government is moving to impose stringent regulations on social media usage, with a particular focus on restricting access for minors. Deputy Minister of Science and Education Firudin Gurbanov recently confirmed that authorities have already begun blocking TikTok access within schools. This initiative is part of a broader, more aggressive legislative effort to monitor and govern digital platforms, which the government argues is necessary to shield students from “dangerous content.”
Legislative discussions held on June 8 regarding an amendment to the law on information, informatization, and protection of information reveal the expansive scope of these new measures. The government intends to mandate that major social media platforms—including Instagram, Facebook, X, and Snapchat—establish physical representative offices within Azerbaijan. Companies failing to comply with these requirements or the associated regulatory constraints face severe financial penalties ranging from 100,000 to 300,000 manats, with the state reserving the right to block non-compliant services entirely.
Technological expert Osman Gunduz has shed light on the mechanics of the proposed restrictions, noting that the law would essentially prohibit children under the age of 16 from maintaining accounts on state-designated platforms. Under this new regime, platforms would be required to verify the age of existing users, deleting any accounts that cannot be authenticated. For those aged 16 to 18, the proposed rules mandate parental consent and strict oversight, including limits on geolocation, advertising, and content accessibility.
Critics, including Gunduz, have argued that the proposed age thresholds are disproportionately high and potentially stifle the independence of older teenagers. He pointed out that many 17-year-olds in Azerbaijan are already active participants in the global digital economy, running startups, engaging in international programming, and participating in hackathons. For these young professionals, the prospect of requiring parental consent for their digital activity is viewed as an illogical barrier that contradicts the professional autonomy expected of their age group.
The initiative has drawn significant concern from legal experts regarding the potential for government overreach. Human rights lawyer Yalchin Imanov noted that while child protection is a common legislative goal, the ambiguity regarding what constitutes the “200 dangerous topics” currently filtered by the ministry is alarming. Imanov warned that without transparent definitions, these “dangerous” categories could easily be manipulated to censor political dissent or restrict access to any alternative information sources that do not align with the state narrative.
Ultimately, the debate underscores a long-standing tension in Azerbaijan between digital safety and political transparency. Critics like Imanov emphasize that the lack of public discourse surrounding these bills is a defining feature of the government’s approach to policy-making. By bypassing public debate and formal feedback, the authorities are effectively centralizing control over the digital landscape, raising fears that these measures serve as a pretext for deeper encroachment into the freedom of expression under the guise of child protection.