Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov of Kazakhstan addressed concerns regarding TikTok’s operations in the country, as reported by the national portal “Adyrna.”
He stated that Kazakhstan’s government is working closely with TikTok’s official representatives to ensure the platform is safe, especially for younger users.
To protect young users from harmful content, TikTok has implemented a registration requirement that includes providing a complete birth date, as the platform is not intended for users under 13. Additionally, TikTok has developed algorithms to detect and restrict content related to extremism, radicalism, separatism, and other potentially dangerous or morally conflicting materials, using both automated and manual moderation.
In Kazakhstan, automated moderation identifies content that violates set guidelines and enables quick action. Additionally, a second layer of moderation relies on user reports—allowing users to flag inappropriate accounts, videos, or comments. Local moderators review flagged content and remove any material deemed harmful. TikTok also provides ongoing training for its moderation teams.
The government highlighted TikTok’s commitment to community safety, noting that TikTok was the first major platform to publicly report the number of accounts deleted for users under 13. In the first eight months of 2024, TikTok deleted over 1.2 million accounts in Kazakhstan belonging to users under 13, compared to 1.8 million accounts deleted in the previous year.
The issue gained attention when Senator Gennadiy Shipovskikh urged Prime Minister Bektenov to consider banning TikTok in Kazakhstan, especially after neighboring Kyrgyzstan imposed a similar ban.
