Messaging giant Telegram to open branch office in Kazakhstan
Telegram will appoint an official representative and open an office in Kazakhstan, a move aimed at improving «content oversight on Telegram,» according to Zhaslan Madiyev, Kazakhstan’s minister of digital development.
Madiyev has recently met with officials from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and representatives from Meta and Apple to discuss issues like data security, combating fake accounts and user protection.
«We are working closely with Telegram to swiftly remove unauthorized content and block harmful channels. Under our legislation, internet platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp and TikTok are now required to have a local representative in Kazakhstan. An agreement has already been made for Telegram to appoint its representative and open an office here — an important step towards enhancing content oversight,» said Madiyev.
Kazakhstan and Meta have also agreed to collaborate in combating fraud schemes on social networks.
«Meta representatives noted that internet fraud faced by Kazakhstan is a common issue in many countries. In the last quarter, Meta blocked 1.2 billion fake accounts globally using artificial intelligence technology,» the ministry reported.
In September, Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov announced that the messenger would disclose IP addresses and phone numbers of users upon reasonable requests from relevant authorities. Telegram has branded itself as one of the most secure messaging platforms, claiming not to share user information with third parties.
Earlier, Aida Balayeva, minister of information, stated that Kazakhstan might consider blocking TikTok due to illegal content. However, the ministry later reversed this position, clarifying that blocking TikTok is not currently on the agenda.
