The Azerbaijani authorities have restricted the use of TikTok in schools, according to Deputy Minister of Science and Education Firudin Gurbanov.
The law will apply to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, Snapchat, and other similar social networks. These platforms will also be required to open a representative office or branch in Azerbaijan. Platforms that fail to comply with the requirements will face fines of ₼100,000 ($59,000) to ₼300,000 ($180,000), as well as measures such as blocking.
The announcement came during a parliamentary discussion on the draft law on information, informatisation, and information protection on Monday.
APA, a pro-government media outlet, wrote that during debate, Gurbanov stressed that as a ministry, they were trying ‘to introduce some restrictions in schools’.
‘Children’s access to TikTok is currently blocked in schools. In general, children’s internet access in schools is filtered, and videos covering over 200 dangerous topics are restricted’, Gurbanov said.
Information Communication Technologies expert Osman Gunduz wrote on social media that the new draft law prohibits opening accounts for children under 16 on state-designated social media platforms.
Gunduz noted that as the law comes into force, existing accounts will also be verified, and ‘if their age is not confirmed, they will be deleted’.
‘A separate regime is envisaged for users aged 16-18. This age group will be subject to parental consent, parental controls, special security measures, content and advertising restrictions, and geolocation restrictions’, Gunduz stressed.
Gunduz criticised the high age limit, stating that the main consensus in international discussions has formed around the protection of children under 13.
‘Currently, many 17-year-olds in Azerbaijan are even starting businesses with European countries, programming, creating startups and making money, and participating in international competitions, hackathons, and global projects’, Gunduz said. ‘Now the question arises: will these young people use social media with parental consent?’.
Human rights lawyer Yalchin Imanov told OC Media that while protecting children’s rights was natural, ‘we don’t know what specific topics are prohibited, namely, dangerous topics. It’s unclear what topics are meant by the phrase “more than two hundred dangerous topics”, and this could be exploited by the authorities’.
Imanov highlighted that such bills could be used for the restriction of alternative sources of the information.
‘The Azerbaijani authorities are fundamentally intolerant of freedom of expression and alternative sources of information, so it cannot be ruled out that this topic and alternative sources of information will be added to the list of prohibited content inaccessible to minors’, Imanov said.
He also emphasised that the Azerbaijani authorities never engage in discussions with Azerbaijani society, and that ‘draft laws, in particular, are not submitted for public discussion’. He concluded by saying that ‘this is where the danger lies’.
