Azerbaijan joins a growing list of countries banning children from social media
Azerbaijan will bar children under 16 from registering on social media platforms, the Azerbaijani news outlet Oxu.Az reports. The law takes effect 12 months after it is officially published.
On Tuesday, the country’s parliament passed amendments to the administrative offenses code, as well as to the laws “On Information, Informatization, and the Protection of Information” and “On Protecting Children From Harmful Information.” Lawmakers approved the changes in their third and final reading.
Teenagers between 16 and 18 may create and use social media accounts only with a legal guardian’s consent. To verify age, the law requires users to provide a bank card (from which a small sum will be charged and then refunded) along with a mobile phone number and email address.
Responsibility for verifying the accuracy of users’ data falls on providers — that is, the owners of social media platforms. Oxu.Az notes that providers may still use other technical age-verification methods not specified in the law. The list of platforms subject to the new rules has not yet been finalized.
Foreign providers will be required to open a branch or representative office in Azerbaijan and establish a contact center to communicate with government agencies.
A platform that fails to meet all requirements within six months of being added to the list faces fines of up to 400,000 Azerbaijani manats (about $235,000). For further violations, authorities will gradually restrict the provider’s traffic in the country.
Australia was the first country to impose restrictions on children and teenagers using social media. The ban has been in effect since December 2025. However, recent studies show that the restrictions have had little effect, and teenagers are still finding ways around them.
At least nine countries now have some form of restriction on children’s social media use, according to a count by RBC. Another 13 countries are planning to introduce similar bans or are considering doing so.
The United Kingdom recently decided to ban children from social media. The law is expected to pass by the end of the year and to take effect in the spring of 2027.
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