Gov’t drafts new law to regulate media and online platforms

The draft law aims both to liberalize existing legislation and to address current regulatory gaps. It sets out operating conditions for website owners in Uzbekistan. The concept of “influencer” will be introduced into the legal framework, proposing fewer obligations for regular bloggers and greater responsibility for those with influencer status.

A roundtable discussion was held by the Committee on Innovative Development and Information Technology of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, focusing on users’ rights on online platforms, emerging social dynamics in the sector, and modern challenges. This was reported by the parliament’s press service.

Representatives of the Agency for Information and Mass Communications announced during the event that, with the involvement of various state and public organizations as well as media experts, a comprehensive, directly applicable draft law has been developed to regulate the media sector.

According to the agency, the draft law aims to formally establish citizens' rights regarding the use of online platforms and websites, and to protect them from false information, hate speech, violence, and cruelty-promoting illegal content.

The proposed law includes a range of provisions intended to significantly liberalize the current regulations on online platforms and close existing legislative gaps. If adopted, it will:

Legally safeguard the rights of users of online platforms;
Ensure legal clarity and consistency in the dissemination of information on the Internet;
Define clear operational requirements for online platforms and website owners operating in Uzbekistan, providing greater predictability for their business models;
Improve the legal foundations for dialogue and constructive cooperation among stakeholders in the information space – including online platforms, bloggers, influencers, and regulatory state bodies;
Enhance online safety and introduce specific mechanisms to protect children from harmful content;
Grant users legal guarantees and access to assistance from authorized bodies when they are subjected to information that undermines their dignity or reputation.

It was noted that the draft law differentiates between influencers and bloggers, easing the obligations for ordinary bloggers while imposing stricter responsibilities on those classified as influencers.

The roundtable also included a detailed review of the new legal mechanisms introduced by the draft, and it was concluded that the bill should be submitted for public discussion.

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