New social media ad rules in Azerbaijan risk ‘demoralising proactive individuals,’ expert warns

JAMnews

Baku

Azerbaijan tightens social media ads control

At a plenary session of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis, amendments to the Law on Advertising were adopted. The new rules introduce a number of legal and financial requirements for bloggers and influencers engaged in advertising on social media — in other words, digital opinion leaders.

The law has already been approved. From now on, individuals who post advertisements on social media are required to clearly label promotional content as such, provide accurate and transparent information about goods and services, be registered taxpayers (holding a taxpayer identification number), and submit relevant documents for products that require licensing.

Provisions of the Law

Under the new amendments, advertising of products that require a licence or certificate is only permitted if the appropriate documentation is available. If the advertising medium (such as a platform or format) does not allow for full disclosure of this information, links or short codes must be provided to access further details. In addition:

Consumers must be clearly informed that the content is sponsored;
The information must be presented in a clear and comprehensible manner;
The dissemination of misleading or inaccurate information is prohibited.

Риски: творчество, свобода и инициативность молодежи

According to Osman Gunduz, president of the Azerbaijani Internet Forum and an ICT expert, if the law is enforced in a rigid and centralised manner, it could harm the work of young bloggers and creators of original content.

The expert commented on these risks as follows:

“Social media thrives on diversity and alternative voices. If priority is given only to commercial, filtered content, it will damage the spirit of the platform itself.”

At the same time, he emphasises that public oversight and civic participation must play a key role in implementing the law. However, if such oversight turns into a breeding ground for hatred and a culture of harassment, it could stifle creativity.

New Era: transparency or controlled censorship?

Osman Gunduz believes that the changes were long overdue to bring professionalism and transparency to the social media advertising market:

“In this market, alongside responsible bloggers operating with a taxpayer identification number, there were also those who failed to pay taxes, abused trust, and promoted products they hadn’t used themselves. The new rules are important to eliminate such irresponsibility.”

The expert notes that these changes are likely to improve tax culture, content quality, and consumer trust. However, he also highlights certain concerns:

“If the law is not implemented with balance, it could become a deterrent for aspiring bloggers and harm the diversity of social media.”

10-million-manat market

Osman Gunduz says the volume of the social media advertising market in Azerbaijan is around 10 million manats (approx. $6 million). This sum previously went to traditional television, but in recent years, platforms like Instagram, YouTube and TikTok have claimed a growing share of the market.

There are only a few bloggers whose monthly income exceeds 50,000 manats (approx. $30,000). Most earn between 50 and 500 manats (approx. $30–300) per post. During major campaigns, this figure can reach 10,000–15,000 manats ($6,000–9,000). The new law will ensure these revenues are officially recorded and taxed.