Azerbaijan is considering new restrictions on children's use of social media, including a minimum registration age of 16 and fines for platforms that fail to protect young users. The proposals form part of a broader global trend towards tighter regulation of online platforms.
Azerbaijan’s debate comes amid a growing international wave of legislation aimed at limiting children’s exposure to social media, driven by concerns over mental health, addiction risks and platform design.
Governments around the world are increasingly regulating social media use among children, citing anxiety, sleep disruption, cyberbullying and concerns over algorithm-driven engagement features.
Australia became the first country to introduce a nationwide ban on social media use for children under 16.
In Europe, Greece is introducing enforcement measures under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), which allows penalties of up to 6% of a company’s global turnover for non-compliance.
Portugal has introduced parental consent requirements for users aged 13 to 16, while France, Denmark and the United Kingdom are also debating stricter age-based rules. Türkiye has also moved ahead with legislation banning social media use for children under 15.
Azerbaijan is considering new legislation that would introduce fines for violations of age-restricted social media rules. The draft law is currently under discussion in the Milli Majlis and is being reviewed by relevant parliamentary committees.
The bill sets out financial penalties for social media providers that fail to submit required information to state authorities, delay responses or provide inaccurate data.
Officials could face fines ranging from 6,000 to 7,000 manats, while legal entities may be fined between 15,000 and 20,000 manats. Higher penalties would apply for repeated violations or failure to meet deadlines.
The draft law introduces liability for platforms that fail to ensure a safe online environment for minors, including a lack of age-verification systems, insufficient safeguards for users aged 16 to 18, or failure to remove harmful content.
Additional penalties are proposed for the misuse of children’s personal data for advertising purposes or for failing to delete content posted before adulthood upon request. Repeated violations within a year would result in higher fines.
Separately, Azerbaijan is considering introducing a minimum age of 16 for social media registration. The initiative was presented by Zahid Oruj, chairman of the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee.
“The main goal is to protect children under 16 from the harmful effects of social media, including encouragement of suicide, sexual exploitation, and bullying. Registration on social networks will be allowed only from age 16,” Oruj said.
He added that users aged 16 to 18 would be allowed access only with parental consent. The draft also proposes banning manipulative platform features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay videos.
Vafa Yagublu, deputy director of the State Agency for Preschool and General Education, said the draft law covers around 1.5 million children in preschool and general education institutions.
She noted that nearly 300,000 children under the age of three are also included in the system. According to Yagublu, the proposal is generally viewed positively and is not intended to restrict social media use as its primary objective.
“From this year, bringing and using mobile phones in schools has been prohibited,” she added.
Officials emphasise that the aim is not to block social media but to strengthen oversight and child protection mechanisms.
Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Hasanov said 43% of parents are unable to fully control their children’s online activity, adding that supervised-use tools are being developed for teenagers aged 16 to 18. He also noted that 93% of parents support the proposed changes.
Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev said social media has become a major source of information for children.
“Today, 50 percent of children obtain information through social media, and this is considered more risky,” he said.
Ahmad Ismayilov, executive director of the Media Development Agency, said unregulated social media use at an early age can lead to long-term risks.
He noted that the draft law aims to strengthen protection mechanisms and ensure safer participation by children in digital environments.
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