Tengrinews.kz — Kazakhstan will introduce new rules for telecommunications services, following amendments approved by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development.
According to the ministry, the new regulations will come into force on June 28 and will affect the activation of paid services, advertising messages, and the registration of SIM cards for children.
Under the new rules, mobile operators will no longer be allowed to activate additional paid services or internet packages without double confirmation from subscribers. Consent may be provided through a personal account, SMS, a phone call, or a USSD request.
Another change concerns so-called “beacon calls” (autocalls) — short automated calls previously used to notify users about missed calls. While opting out of the service was often difficult due to technical limitations, operators will now be prohibited from using this notification format. Instead, subscribers will receive SMS alerts about missed calls.
Background: Autocall is a feature that automatically redials a number if the line is busy or the call does not go through. The system keeps calling at set intervals until a connection is established.
In addition, users will be able to opt out of advertising and informational messages sent by mobile operators.
The changes also affect the registration of mobile numbers for children under the age of 14. Under the new rules, a SIM card for a child can only be registered by a legal guardian following biometric identification. Only one mobile number may be registered per minor.
The ministry said the new regulations are aimed at protecting consumer rights and improving the quality of digital services.
The issue of persistent autocalls has long been a source of complaints among Kazakhstanis. The feature automatically redials a subscriber when a line is busy or a call fails to connect, repeatedly attempting the call at regular intervals until it goes through.
