Azerbaijan will implement age limits to access social networks, as a new presidential order is supposed to protect children against harmful online content.
It is a document signed by President Ilham Aliyev, which details the actions to improve legal and technological protection of minors in the digital world. Az reports.
As per the order, one of the key aspects, which the swift growth of information and communication technologies in Azerbaijan has contributed to, is the growing importance of social media in the lives of the population. According to the officials, the premature and ubiquitous use of these platforms by children, along with the increased volume of content creation and use online, necessitate new rules that would respond to the current technological, social and security issues.
The decree refers to international studies and world experience that psychological well-being, safety and healthy development of children necessitate special safeguards in the law and technological protection in the online arena. It emphasises the point that states are supposed to be directly involved in safeguarding the privacy, dignity and security of children on the Internet.
Azerbaijan intends to increase its control over the activities of social networks in accordance with this strategy. The suggested structure would present the liabilities on platforms aiming to minimise harm to minors, improve the data protection rates and employ more robust safety protocols.
The order lays emphasis on parental control measures, in platform safety systems and age-based content filters. It also highlights the fact that there is a need to empower digital literacy, critical thinking and responsible use of the internet by children and teens.
Following the directive, the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan should, within three months, prepare the draft legislation on the protection of children against harmful content and influences on social networks. The proposed measures will involve the age restrictions when registering users.
The Cabinet has also been obligated to come up with the rules that will guide the use of mobile and electronic devices in the preschool groups and general institutions of education. It is assumed that educational curricula will be revised and contain the new topic of digital literacy, cybersecurity and responsible online behaviour.
Moreover, the government will introduce public campaigns to the population (targeting parents, teachers and children) and fund the research on children’s digital wellbeing.
The officials state that the project is aimed at making the Internet a safer place to use among young users, as well as to update the legislation on the country level to national requirements in terms of digital governance.
