Government responds to what children should do after social media ban
Tengrinews.kz — Kazakhstan is planning to ban children under the age of 16 from registering on social media. But what will happen to young bloggers, musicians, athletes, artists, and others who use social media to build their profiles? Journalists posed this question to Vice Minister of Culture and Information Evgeniy Kochetov.
Kochetov noted that other platforms exist for identifying talented children.
"Let me answer this philosophically: nothing happens by chance. If a child is talented, they will certainly be discovered. We currently have a large number of platforms, competitions, and festivals designed to identify such talent. That is the first point. Secondly, nothing prevents parents from sharing stories about their children or showcasing their achievements," he replied.
According to the Vice Minister, the purpose of the amendments is not to limit children's opportunities for self-expression.
"This is not about restricting talent or making children's voices less heard. It is primarily about protecting them from psychological impact, cyberbullying, and other negative influences inherent in social media. Therefore, we are confident that this amendment will certainly not lead to fewer talented children in Kazakhstan," Kochetov stated.
When the amendments might be adopted
The Vice Minister also shared the current status of the bill.
"The amendments are already in the Mazhilis. Several working groups have met, and discussions are ongoing. This is a live process, so we cannot provide a specific date yet. For its part, the government introduced these amendments back in late June. We will now be discussing them with the deputies," he reported.
As a reminder, the bill stipulates a ban on social media registration for users under 16. An exception is proposed for instant messaging apps.
Previously, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev supported the initiative and called for it to be considered as a priority. At the same time, the Head of State emphasized that implementation mechanisms must be thoroughly developed before the bill is passed.