Social media accounts of children under 16 could be suspended in Kazakhstan

Tengrinews.kz – Kazakhstan may use facial recognition technology, as well as analysis of content, subscriptions and account activity, to enforce proposed restrictions on social media registration for children under 16. Authorities are also considering temporarily suspending existing accounts belonging to minors.
The details were outlined in Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov’s response to an inquiry from Kurultai deputy Zhanarbek Ashimzhanov.
How users’ age could be verified
The Prime Minister said the government has already drafted amendments regulating the registration of users under 16 on online platforms. The amendments are currently under consideration by the Kurultai.
Once the amendments are adopted, separate rules for verifying users’ age are expected to be developed by the Ministry of Culture and Information and the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development.
The authorities plan to take into account technologies already used by online platforms when developing the verification mechanism.
In particular, artificial intelligence could be used to estimate a user’s age based on facial images, using facial recognition technologies similar to Face ID.
Other factors that could be analyzed to determine a user’s age include:

content viewed by the user;
subscriptions;
communities they belong to;
account activity;
other behavioral indicators.

The government said online platforms already have the technological capabilities needed to implement such measures.
Bektenov cited Meta as an example, saying the company plans to introduce an age-verification system called AgeKey. According to the government, the technology would operate on a principle similar to passkeys used for biometric authentication, including fingerprints or facial recognition.
What could happen to existing accounts
A transition period is expected to be introduced before the new requirements take full effect.
Authorities are also considering temporarily suspending existing accounts belonging to users under the age of 16.
The exact mechanism has yet to be determined. The rules are expected to be discussed with representatives of online platforms operating in Kazakhstan.
The government stressed that the proposed age-verification methods should prevent users’ personal data from being disclosed.
Detailed mechanisms for implementing the restrictions will also be discussed with Kurultai deputies.
Why Kazakhstan wants to restrict children’s access to social media
In September, Kurultai deputy Zhanarbek Ashimzhanov submitted a parliamentary inquiry to Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, calling for clarification on how restrictions on social media registration for children under 16 would work.
The deputy argued that introducing a ban alone would not be enough. He said authorities should determine in advance how users’ ages would be verified, who would be responsible for protecting children’s personal data, and how accounts created to circumvent the restrictions would be identified.
Ashimzhanov also cited research indicating that 60 percent of Kazakh children aged 9–10 and 66 percent of those aged 11–12 have social media accounts. According to figures cited by the deputy, 88 percent of children have their own smartphones.
Earlier, the government said the proposed restrictions would apply specifically to children registering on social media platforms. Messaging apps are not expected to be affected.
The amendments have already been submitted to the Kurultai, although no specific timeline for their adoption has been announced.