Kazakhstan plans to restrict social media access for children under 16

Kazakhstan is preparing an age-verification mechanism with digital platforms to restrict social media access for children under 16. Kanat Iskakov, First Deputy Minister of Culture and Information, announced the plan at the Astana Media Week forum held in Astana from October 14 to 16, 2026.

Scraper SystemOctober 14, 2026, 08:49 PM

Kazakhstan plans to restrict social media access for children under 16

Preparations are underway in Kazakhstan to restrict social media use by children under 16. The Ministry of Culture and Information plans to develop a joint mechanism with digital platforms for this purpose.

Kanat Iskakov, the ministry's First Deputy Minister, made the announcement at the Astana Media Week forum held in Astana from October 14 to 16, 2026.

Astana Media Week forum (archive, 2019)

A joint age-determination algorithm will be developed

Verifying users' identities and ages will be one of the plan's key elements. Iskakov said that determining a user's age was a complex process and that a joint age-determination algorithm would be developed with different digital platforms.

Kazakh authorities plan to draw on international experience and cooperate with representatives of digital platforms while preparing the mechanism. The work is expected to be carried out in stages with the participation of professional organizations and digital platforms.

Children using smartphones (illustrative)

Messaging applications will be excluded

According to Iskakov's statement, the planned restrictions will apply only to social media platforms. Messaging applications, including WhatsApp and Telegram, are expected to remain available for use by minors.

The deputy minister stressed that parents should also be involved in the process to ensure children's digital safety. He said the aim was to strike a balance that would protect children from potential threats online while allowing them to continue accessing educational and other useful content.

The possibility of restricting children under 16 from registering on social media platforms had previously been raised in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan plans to restrict social media access for children under 16