Kazakhstanis will be held accountable for using someone else's EDS

Tengrinews.kz – Kazakhstani citizens will now be held accountable for using someone else's electronic digital signature (EDS).

New regulations came into effect on March 13.

A new administrative offense related to electronic documents and EDS has been introduced under Article 640 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. This law establishes liability for the use of an electronic digital signature by another person.

"Previously, administrative liability was only imposed for the unlawful transfer of an EDS key to third parties and failure by the certificate holder to take measures to protect it. With the amendments now in force, both the person who transferred the EDS and the person who used it will be held accountable," the Ministry of Digital Development stated.

Additionally, the statute of limitations for holding individuals and legal entities accountable for violations related to personal data protection and EDS has been extended from two months to one year from the date of the offense.

"For violations of legislation on personal data and its protection—such as illegal collection, processing, or failure to implement security measures—administrative fines under Article 79 of the Code of Administrative Offenses will be tripled. Previously, fines ranged from 10 to 1,000 MCI (Monthly Calculation Index) depending on the offense and the category of the business entity. Now, they will range from 30 to 2,000 MCI," the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry (MDDIAI) reported.

These changes aim to strengthen the protection of citizens' personal data, enhance EDS security, and increase liability for violations in the field of digitalization, as well as to reduce fraudulent activities related to EDS usage.