Kazakhstan proposes banning TikTok and Instagram for children

Tengrinews.kz – Mazhilis deputy Askhat Aimagambetov has proposed setting age restrictions for registration on social media platforms, particularly popular ones among children and teenagers in Kazakhstan, such as TikTok and Instagram.

During a Mazhilis session, Aimagambetov raised the issue of introducing minimum age limits for social media registration.

According to him, children as young as 5–6 years old are now signing up for TikTok and Instagram without parental consent or any verification.

“Such restrictions already exist in other countries. For example, in Denmark and Australia, registration is allowed from the age of 15–16, while in the U.S., the U.K., and Ireland, parental permission and verification are required,” the deputy noted.

In response, Deputy Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Dmitry Moon stated that Kazakhstan does not yet plan to introduce strict restrictions, but work in this direction is underway.

“At present, the trend is toward offering access in a controlled format — limiting certain content while not hindering the country’s digital development in line with global trends. Therefore, our work will continue in this framework,” he explained.