Kazakhstan buying surveillance system from China? Digital ministry responds

Tengrinews.kz – Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry has responded to media reports linking the country to a leaked cache of documents from Chinese company Geedge Networks.

What happened

Wired magazine reported (subscription required) that more than 100,000 documents had been leaked online, allegedly showing that Geedge secretly sold censorship systems modeled after China’s “Great Firewall” to governments around the world.

According to the publication, Geedge’s systems have already been deployed in Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Myanmar, and another unidentified country. Job postings also indicated the company was hiring engineers for overseas assignments in states not listed in the leaked files.

The so-called “Great Firewall” refers to China’s extensive system of internet censorship and surveillance that blocks foreign platforms, filters online content, and restricts VPN use.

Speaking to Wired, Marla Rivera, a technical researcher at InterSecLab, said the Geedge system allows not only mass censorship but also targeted surveillance of individuals based on their online activity, such as visiting specific websites. She described it as “terrifying” and a level of control no government should have.

What Kazakhstan says

In response to Tengrinews.kz’s request for comment, the Ministry of Digital Development dismissed the claims.

“According to the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan, this information does not correspond to reality,” the ministry stated.

No further details were provided. Tengrinews.kz has sent an official request for clarification.

Earlier this year, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science announced plans to establish a joint artificial intelligence laboratory with China. The project aims to become a hub for advanced research in AI, remote sensing, geographic information systems, and predictive modeling.