According to Olzhas Abishev, a renowned expert on digital transformation, criminal liability must be introduced in Kazakhstan for those who allow personal data leaks.
A draft law about artificial intelligence (AI) has been introduced in the Mazhilis, the lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament. Proposed amendments aim to protect the rights of AI users and their personal data and ensure the safe distribution of AI-generated content.
Abishev took part in discussions within a working group on AI regulation in the Mazhilis, where one of the key topics under consideration was the protection of personal data.
«As an international AI expert at the global company Iffort, I have suggested a set of proposals to strengthen data protection amid the rise in automated processing and widespread AI utilization,» the expert said on Facebook.
Key initiatives include:
- Introducing a criminal liability for allowing the risk of data leaks, especially in cases of mass and automated processing;
- Splitting personal data into two categories: the data itself and information that could be used to identify a person;
- Ensuring that decisions made by AI are taken only with human consent;
- Obligating companies to immediately stop processing personal data once their holder terminates the data processing agreement;
- Establishing a unified register of leaked data to enhance security and transparency;
- Bolstering cybersecurity and raising awareness among both businesses and citizens.
Kazakhstan’s current legislation provides for administrative liability for major businesses that violate personal data protection requirements, with fines of up to 1,000 monthly calculated indexes (roughly $7,740) and criminal liability for personal data leaks, with punishments of up to seven years in prison.
In early May, MP Murat Abenov pointed to an active Telegram bot that provides information on any individual, including ministers, governors and even presidents. He accused Kazakhstani officials of alleged involvement in a data leak.
