A sweeping new law in Azerbaijan regulating social media platforms is a step towards establishing a permanent, institutionalised system of state control over digital expression, a leading media expert has warned.
Under the legislation passed by the Milli Majlis (parliament), social media companies must verify that users are over 16, establish local representation in the country, and respond to government inquiries within five working days.
Platforms that fail to comply face heavy fines, advertising bans, and a phased reduction of internet bandwidth—a tactic known as traffic throttling.
The law also expands the grounds for temporarily blocking websites without a court order, covering online defamation, privacy violations, and “disinformation” deemed a threat to public safety.
Azerbaijan’s government has defended the measures, arguing they are designed to protect children from online risks and safeguard national information security.
However, critics argue the changes are the latest step in a years-long clampdown on independent media and free speech.
“What we are seeing is not episodic censorship, but the construction of a permanent, institutionalised control infrastructure,” said Arzu Geybulla, an Azerbaijani journalist and regional media analyst.
Geybulla noted that while the government points to similar legislation in democratic countries like Australia and France, the institutional context in Azerbaijan is vastly different.
“In the European Union, platform obligations are backed by independent regulators, judicial oversight, and user protection mechanisms,” she said. “In Azerbaijan, enforcement is handed entirely to executive bodies.”
She highlighted the newly created National Cyber Security Agency, which reports directly to the president, as an example of centralised digital surveillance.
The requirement for international platforms to establish physical offices in Baku is particularly concerning, Geybulla argued, describing it as a “hostage mechanism”.
“When a platform has an office, staff, and assets within a country, the government gains leverage it never had over a foreign-based company,” she said, citing similar laws passed in Turkey in 2020 and Russia in 2021.
She warned that local employees could face legal liability, leaving companies more likely to comply with censorship demands rather than challenge them.
The legislation follows a series of restrictive media measures in Azerbaijan.
In 2017, amendments allowed the blocking of independent websites, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Meydan TV. This was followed by a restrictive Media Law in 2022 and a wave of arrests targeting independent journalists since late 2023.
Geybulla outlined three potential scenarios for global platforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok under the new rules.
Tech companies could comply and face state pressure, refuse and suffer crippling traffic throttling, or pull out of the Azerbaijani market entirely.
“Azerbaijan is a very small market for these companies,” Geybulla said. “The cost of compliance might simply outweigh the market value, leading some to exit.”
In the long term, Geybulla warned the law would create a “chilling effect”, forcing users into self-censorship as the connection of social media accounts to phone numbers and bank cards erodes online anonymity.