Kazakhstan moves to restrict foreign social media usage

NUR-SULTAN: Kazakhstan’s parliament approved a bill on Wednesday requiring owners of foreign social media and messaging apps to set up offices in the country or risk being blocked as part of a campaign against cyberbullying.

The draft law, which had passed its first reading in the lower house of parliament, focuses on protecting children’s rights but includes provisions regarding social media and messaging software, which some critics regard as a tool to censor online comment.

Once the bill is approved by the senate and the president, it will require the owners of such apps to register with authorities and open offices in the Central Asian nation, moves the government says will streamline the handling of official requests to remove illegal content.