Azerbaijan is moving to introduce significant administrative penalties for social media platforms that fail to comply with age-restriction requirements and data protection standards. The proposed measures aim to strengthen the regulatory framework governing digital safety for minors.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, these changes have been proposed as a new article to be added to the Code of Administrative Offenses. The draft legislation was discussed during a joint session of the Milli Majlis (National Assembly) committees on Human Rights, Family, Women and Children, and Legal Policy and State Building.
Under the proposed legislation, failure to provide required information to the designated executive authority, or providing incomplete or distorted data, will result in fines ranging from 6,000 to 7,000 AZN for officials and 15,000 to 20,000 AZN for legal entities. Furthermore, failure to respond to official inquiries from the relevant state body within five business days regarding age-restricted platforms will incur fines of 7,000 to 8,000 AZN for officials and 25,000 to 30,000 AZN for legal entities.
The draft law also outlines strict penalties for failing to implement safety measures for users aged 16-18, including:
- Failure to apply technical safeguards during account creation.
- Inadequate protection of minors from harmful content that threatens their health, dignity, or rights.
- Failure to remove harmful content within 24 hours of detection.
- Unauthorized use of personal data for commercial or targeted advertising purposes.
- Failure to delete personal data or content upon the request of a minor or their legal representative.
For these specific violations, officials face fines of 8,000 to 9,000 AZN, while legal entities face penalties between 35,000 and 40,000 AZN. Repeat offenses within one year of an administrative penalty will result in increased fines, reaching up to 10,000 AZN for officials and 50,000 AZN for legal entities. The law is scheduled to enter into force 12 months after its official publication.
This legislative initiative reflects Azerbaijan's ongoing efforts to align its digital governance with international standards for child protection and data privacy. By imposing stricter financial accountability on social media providers, the government seeks to create a safer digital environment for the country's youth, ensuring that platforms operating within the Republic of Azerbaijan adhere to national security and ethical guidelines.
