ASTANA – Kazakhstan has taken a major step toward regulating life online with the signing of the new Digital Code on Jan. 9, a sweeping legal framework designed to protect rights and bring order to the country’s rapidly expanding digital environment. 

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Experts view the Digital Code as moving the digital environment from a gray area of legal uncertainty into a structured market system.

The law consists of seven sections and establishes uniform rules for the digital sphere, including how people, data and technologies interact.

A human-centered approach to digitalization

Lawmakers say the document is built around a simple idea: digital development should serve people, not the other way around. Yekaterina Smyshlyayeva, deputy of Mazhilis, a lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament, presented the document’s key provisions at a press briefing on Jan. 23.

Mazhilis Deputy Yekaterina Smyshlyayeva presented the Digital Code’s concept at a Central Communications Service briefing on Jan. 23. Photo credit: ortcom.kz

“The code is a human-centered document. Its main goal is the security of human existence in the digital environment. Digitalization is meant to improve people’s lives,” she said.

For the first time, a dedicated chapter outlines the protection of human rights in the digital environment, built around three core components.

The first concerns the right to identity, meaning the right of citizens to decide how their identity is confirmed in the digital environment. Digital identification refers to the use of electronic tools, such as electronic signatures, biometric verification, digital IDs or government authentication platforms, to access public services, sign documents or confirm personal data online. Citizens may choose whether to use digital identification when alternatives are available. If a person lacks technical access, digital skills or the necessary equipment, they may confirm their identity through offline methods, including in-person verification.

“In such cases, a person must always have an alternative method of access and identification, including offline options,” Smyshlyayeva said.

The chapter also provides for the protection of digital identity.

New rules target transparency and non-discrimination

Another component addresses data management, outlining rights to delete, depersonalize or suspend the processing of personal data. 

“These rights are already guaranteed under the personal data law. The Digital Code strengthens and systematizes them and introduces mechanisms allowing a person to demand suspension of data processing when it is no longer needed,” Smyshlyayeva said.

If personal data is included in large datasets, citizens may demand depersonalization so it cannot be used to identify them.

Vice Minister of Artificial Intelligence Dmitriy Mun supported Smyshlyayeva’s remarks, saying the Digital Code allows citizens to request deletion of personal information they voluntarily shared online.

“The code requires service providers to delete or stop processing such data within 15 days of a request. If they fail to comply, citizens may file a complaint through eOtinish [an unified online platform for submitting official appeals, complaints, suggestions, and requests to government agencies] or take the case to court, and sanctions will be applied,” Mun said at a Central Communications Service briefing on Jan. 23.

The code also introduces new legal concepts, such as the citizen’s digital space and digital events. These ideas aim to create a clearer picture of how personal data moves through digital systems.

“Digital events are actions that take place in the digital environment. The digital space of a citizen will function like an electronic folder in a personal account, where all operations with data are recorded,” Smyshlyayeva said. 

Mun highlighted that the system will allow citizens to track who accessed their personal data, how frequently and for what purpose, with alerts sent via the eGov mobile platform.

Accessibility is another key pillar of the law. A dedicated section establishes accessibility requirements for government digital services, including education and health care platforms, ensuring they can be used by people with disabilities and on basic devices.

“For the first time, accessibility for people with disabilities is fixed in law. Public digital services must work for all citizens, including on the simplest devices,” Smyshlyayeva said. 

A shift from legal uncertainty to a structured digital market

According to Temirlan Ziyatov, chairman of the Association for the Development of Artificial Intelligence, the main goal of the Digital Code is to establish clear and uniform rules for the digital environment, particularly for AI.

Temirlan Ziyatov, chairman of the QazAI Association for the Development of Artificial Intelligence. Photo credit: Ziyatov’s Facebook page

“For the first time, the code systematically regulates data, algorithms, and automated systems, making AI development predictable and legally protected. Previously, AI was regulated in fragments through data laws and sector rules. Now there is a single framework with requirements for transparency, non-discrimination and control of decisions,” Ziyatov told The Astana Times. 

He highlighted that the new framework is expected to increase trust in AI solutions and support market growth by clearly defining user rights and developer responsibilities.

“The data economy will accelerate as data becomes a legal economic asset rather than a passive resource. The focus will shift toward building sustainable and scalable AI products,” Ziyatov said. 

Ziyatov warned that the biggest risk is that the rules are adopted on paper but not backed by practical tools, clear guidance, or pilot projects. He also noted a shortage of qualified specialists, saying AI regulation requires interdisciplinary expertise rather than purely legal approaches.

For public administration, the Digital Code is expected to improve efficiency and transparency. E-government services are likely to reduce bureaucracy, while AI will support data-driven decision-making.

According to Ziyatov, the government is conceptually ready for the new rules, but many businesses will need time and support to adapt. 

“The challenge is the gap between legal norms and practice. Not all processes and personnel are ready to operate under the new rules immediately, but this is a normal transition,” he said. 

On the other hand, constitutional and digital reforms strengthen Kazakhstan’s international credibility by signaling commitment to global standards of openness and innovation.

“The adoption of the Digital Code sends a strong signal to investors. Clear rules for data, digital platforms and AI, along with the priority of international agreements and a balance between public and private interests, reduce regulatory risks and make Kazakhstan a more predictable jurisdiction for long-term IT investment,” Ziyatov said. 



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