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Kazakhstan is planning to block access to online platforms that fail to comply with demands issued by the country’s authorized regulator. This measure appears in a draft amendment proposed by the Ministry of Culture and Information.
The document states that if owners or legal representatives of online platforms do not carry out the ministry’s instructions, the regulator may restrict access to these platforms in accordance with existing rules governing the blocking of internet resources, online platforms, and instant-messaging services.
Platforms would be required to remove prohibited materials at the ministry’s request, provide information about anonymous accounts with more than five thousand followers, and properly label their content.
The draft also proposes banning children under 16 from registering on social media. Failure to comply with any of these requirements could lead to the platform being blocked.
In its explanatory note, the ministry argues that the measure is necessary to create a safer information environment and reduce the volume of illegal content online. Officials add that the proposal would not require budget spending and would not produce negative social or economic consequences.
The ministry concludes that adoption of the bill would result in “a comprehensive positive social, economic, and legal effect.”
This is not the first time Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture has raised the possibility of restricting access to major platforms. Last year, the ministry considered blocking TikTok over unlawful content, including videos containing profanity and other questionable material.
