A completely different, more flexible, yet controlled mechanism is being established for the 16-18 age group.
“Elchi” reports that Zahid Oruc, Chairman of the Human Rights Committee, stated this during the discussion of the “Law on Information, Informatization and Protection of Information” drafts, which were brought to the agenda at today’s joint meeting of the Milli Majlis committees on Human Rights, Family, Women and Children Affairs, and Legal Policy and State Building.
The committee chairman noted that teenagers in this age group can create accounts on the platform: “However, this will only be done with the explicit consent of their legal representatives – their parents. The draft law does not allow the use of manipulative design techniques such as infinite scrolling and automatic video playback in the personal accounts of children aged 16-18. In other words, a very strong requirement is imposed on technology companies: if you want to do business in Azerbaijan, you do not have the right to exploit the psychology of our children. The draft strictly prohibits the transfer of personal data collected for age verification purposes – such as bank card, e-mail, and mobile number information – to third parties or its use for commercial purposes. The requirement for providers to submit reports to state agencies by January 15 each year means that responsibility is established in an institutional form. Companies will no longer be able to hide their activities in Azerbaijan. Officials and legal entities that do not comply with the provisions of the law will be fined. Secondly, it is the platform’s responsibility. Thirdly, parents are legally granted the right to control their children’s digital lives. The norm is extremely valuable from the perspective of the family institution.”