Azerbaijan is considering new rules for children's social media use. Under the proposal, the minimum age to open a personal account on social media platforms would be 16.
Individuals aged 16-18 would only be able to create accounts with parental or legal guardian consent. The main goal is to protect children from harmful content, cyberbullying, manipulative appeals, sexual exploitation risks, and psychological impacts.
The draft law also sets specific requirements for social media platforms. They must implement age verification mechanisms, not use personal data of minors for commercial purposes, and submit relevant reports to state authorities.
A notable aspect of the discussed changes is the restriction on addictive technological mechanisms like infinite scroll and autoplay videos for users aged 16-18. Experts say short video formats can cause attention deficit, superficial information processing, and memory problems in children.
However, experts believe the issue should not be solved solely through bans. Age restrictions should be accompanied by broad public discussions, parental education, and media literacy programs in schools. Digital security is a shared responsibility of the state, family, and education system.
