BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 9. Protecting children from harmful influences on social networking platforms is no longer just a family or educational issue, but one of the most important aspects of information security, Chairman of the Temporary Commission against Foreign Interference and Hybrid Threats of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Ramid Namazov, said, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
The MP made the remark during a public debate in the parliament on the topic "Digital development, artificial intelligence and protecting children from harmful effects on social network platforms."
He noted that the risks of cyberbullying, age-inappropriate content, and online exploitation faced by children on social media platforms necessitate more precise regulatory mechanisms:
''When talking about cybersecurity, the protection of state systems, financial infrastructure, and critical facilities is usually brought to the fore. However, there is another, perhaps the most important dimension of information security. This is the issue of protecting our children, the most vulnerable members of society, in a rapidly changing digital environment,'' he explained.
According to the official, children and teenagers face the risk of cyberbullying, cyberharassment, exposure to age-inappropriate content, and being targeted by online predators on social media platforms.
Moreover, Namazov pointed out that many families in Azerbaijan are not fully aware of these risks or do not have the necessary tools to effectively monitor their children's online activities.
''In addition, comparing themselves to negative images of other users that don't reflect reality leads to problems such as social media addiction, depression, and anxiety in children and teenagers,'' he said.
Namazov noted that in Azerbaijan, children's access to age-appropriate information and protection from harmful information is still legally regulated by the law "On the protection of children from harmful information", adopted in 2018.
''However, according to him, social networking platforms have transformed in recent years from simple communication tools into complex ecosystems controlled by algorithms and, in many cases, using manipulative design solutions. This transformation necessitates more precise regulatory mechanisms,'' he mentioned.
The commission head highlighted that, according to Google, more than 15.8 million YouTube channels were closed worldwide in 2025 for violating community rules, and more than 245.7 million YouTube videos were deleted. More than 24.1 million of them were related to the safety of children.
''These are quite large numbers. Imagine if other platforms also publish the statistics about children, everyone would realize how critical the situation is. Google publishes these statistics, while other platforms don't,'' Namazov added.
