President Ilham Aliyev has signed an Order "On measures to protect children from harmful content and influences in the digital environment."
The document aims to promote a balanced, evidence-based and systematic approach to protecting children in the digital environment, promote digital skills in the use of social networks, form a culture of online behavior and develop creative digital potential.
The order noted that the development of information and communication technologies and the widespread application of digital technologies in Azerbaijan have led to the significant place of social networks in the system of public relations.
The rapid digitalization of social relations and the entry of social networks into the daily lives of children at an increasingly early age, the increase in the scale of production, dissemination and consumption of information through these networks necessitate the analysis and improvement of the current state of legal regulation in this area in terms of modern technological, social and security challenges.
Studies by international organizations and scientific research institutions, as well as the experience of other countries, show that attention to the protection of children in the digital environment, their psychological well-being and safety, and the application of special legal protection and technological protection mechanisms are required for their healthy development. This approach recommends that states directly protect the privacy, dignity and security of children in the digital environment. In international practice, there is a widespread application of requirements that regulate the activities of social networks, reduce risks to children, and establish obligations for more stringent data protection and security.
These new requirements ensure the safety of children and adolescents in the digital environment through systematic legal regulation of the activities of social networks, parental control, in-platform security mechanisms and age-appropriate content filters, as well as create conditions for their development of critical information analysis, behavior and knowledge culture.
The Cabinet of Ministers, by involving relevant state bodies (institutions), scientific institutions and organizations, experts and civil society institutions and taking into account international experience, should prepare and submit to the President of Azerbaijan draft normative legal acts covering the protection of children from harmful content and influences on social networks in the country, including the application of age restrictions when registering on social networks, within three months, ensure that measures are taken to determine and apply rules for the use of mobile and electronic devices in school preparatory groups and general education institutions, take measures to include digital literacy, cybersecurity and responsible online behavior in educational programs (curricula) for school preparatory and general education subjects, including content standards, as well as to develop and implement awareness programs aimed at parents, teachers and children in the media, and carry out regular awareness-raising work on ensuring the lawful use of social networks and the protection of children's rights during such use, including measures to promote scientific research on the digital well-being of children.
