Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Kazakhstan Halts Internet Surveillance Plan That Sidestepped Encryption On Phones

Kazakhstan Halts Internet Surveillance Plan That Sidestepped Encryption On Phones

The controversial rollout of encryption software to Kazakh mobile-phone users has been stopped, with President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev saying the move was just a test that he ordered for security reasons.

Toqaev said in a Twitter message dated August 6 that the encryption certificate customers were told to install or potentially lose access to the Internet was conducted by the National Security Committee (KNB) on his direct order to prove "that Kazakhstan's information space is protected" from "outer intrusions."

He added that the "testing" was "completed rapidly" and assured Internet users in the former Soviet republic that "there are no grounds for worries."

Since July, Internet users across Kazakhstan have been receiving messages from telecom operators asking them to install the "security certificate" called Qaznet on their smartphones, computers, and other devices connected to the Internet.

Users who refused to install the root certificate reported difficulties with access, in particular to social networks and instant messengers.

While security officials claimed the certificates were aimed at protecting mobile-phone users from cyberthreats such as hackers and online fraud, many legal analysts and technical experts worried the government could use them to monitor private communications by going around encryption walls commonly found in software applications.

According to a report published on July 23 by Censored Planet, a project at the University of Michigan, users "should not install" the root certificates because "it opens them up to having their otherwise secure communication intercepted or modified without their knowledge."

The KNB said it intended to use the system in the future "in the event of a threat to national security in the form of cyber- and information attacks."

However, it said citizens would receive "prior notice" before the system was implemented and that "instructions for removing the security certificate from personal devices" would be posted on its website.

The interception targeted connections to 37 domains, according to the Censored Planet research, which was carried out between July 17-20. Applications and websites targeted included Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, as well as e-mail and messaging tools and Google services.

According to Shavkat Sabirov, president of the Internet Association of Kazakhstan, root certificates are not foolproof, and their use could backfire.

He said that on a global level, "it is already recognized that this is an unsuccessful and even a terrible attempt to work in a safe mode" because if the certificate is stolen or hacked, "the attackers will get absolutely all the information about users' data."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×