MP Vasif Gafarov of the Milli Majlis stated that in recent years, developed countries have been transitioning to stricter and more technologically updated models for regulating minors' access to social networks. Protecting children in the digital environment is becoming one of the key areas of state policy.
According to the MP, ensuring children's digital security is now considered not only a social task but also an element of national security and long-term human capital development. Uncontrolled use of social networks from an early age negatively affects children's psychological state, quality of education, formation of social behavior, and future labor activity. Therefore, the introduction of preventive legal mechanisms by the state in this area is in line with international practice and is considered a progressive approach.
Gafarov noted that a number of countries are already implementing large-scale legislative reforms: setting a minimum age for registration on social networks, introducing mandatory parental consent, applying reliable age verification mechanisms, limiting algorithms targeting children, banning personalized advertising, and increasing platform responsibility for the safety of minors. The goal of these measures is to create a safe digital environment that supports the physical, moral, and psychological development of children.
International experience shows that the trend towards stricter regulation is becoming global. Australia has restricted access to a number of social platforms for those under 16. France has introduced mandatory parental consent for minors' registration. The UK and Ireland have required internet platforms to consider children's safety at the service design stage. Several US states have passed laws on age verification and enhanced parental control. These steps demonstrate that the activities of digital platforms are increasingly assessed not only through the prism of freedom of speech and technological progress, but also from the standpoint of protecting children's rights and public safety.
According to Vasif Gafarov, similar reforms are relevant for Azerbaijan. Reliable age identification, expansion of parental control mechanisms, increased responsibility of social platforms, prompt blocking of harmful content, development of digital literacy, and institutional cooperation between the state and technology companies can significantly increase the level of children's digital security.
The MP emphasized that restrictive and protective legal mechanisms regarding the use of social networks by minors have already been recognized by the international community as a modern and effective approach. Such measures correspond to the strategic interests of the state, contribute to the protection of children's rights, the formation of a healthy information environment, the reduction of cyber threats, and the safe development of future generations.