Will there be an age limit for social media in Uzbekistan? A draft law under discussion

Serious restrictions are expected to be imposed on the internet activity and social media usage of minors in Uzbekistan.

At the "SCO Plus" expert dialogue, the Chairman of the State Security Service (SSS), Bahodir Qurbonov, officially proposed introducing restrictions on children's use of social media to protect minors from harmful information attacks and to prevent radicalization processes via the internet.

Draft law ready: What are the main details?

A special regulatory document draft has been developed to implement this initiative. Its main directions include:

• 16-year age limit: The restrictions envisaged in the draft law will apply directly to minors under the age of 16;

• Public control and discussion: The document has been fully drafted and submitted for discussion to study the opinions of the general public, experts, and parents;

• Main goal: To preserve the mental health of children and protect them from falling under the influence of alien ideologies, virtual fraud, cyberbullying, and the propaganda of extremist movements.

International experience: How does the world view this initiative?

The practice of protecting children from the harmful effects of the internet has become a global trend today:

• European Union and leading nations: A number of European countries, including France and the United Kingdom, as well as Australia, are adopting strict laws to restrict minors from opening social media accounts and requiring parental consent;

• Regional security: Similar restrictive measures against internet addiction among youth and recruitment into various dangerous groups via the network are being actively discussed in a number of neighboring countries.