Kazakhstan proposes registration for Telegram channels

Kazakhstan's Minister of Culture and Information, Aida Balaeva, proposed registering Telegram channels. She noted that anonymous channels have become "breeding grounds for disinformation" and emphasized that anonymity should not shield provocateurs:
"Rules must be the same both in real life and in digital space."

As an example, Balaeva cited a recent incident in Shymkent, where fake news about an attack spread even to reputable online outlets. According to the minister, authorities should not simply observe as such channels influence official media.

The Ministry also plans to submit a bill to Parliament to regulate Telegram channel registration and content responsibility.
A similar law exists in Russia: channels with over 10,000 subscribers must register or lose the ability to run ads.

Telegram’s official stance remains unclear. Last year, it opened an office in Kazakhstan at the Astana International Financial Centre.
According to transparency reports, Telegram fulfilled 74 data disclosure requests from Kazakhstani authorities in 2024, revealing information on 496 users.

However, Pavel Durov insists that Telegram has "never shared a byte of private communication" over the past 12 years.

(Translation completed automatically)