24.12.2025 11:36:00
Дата публикации
Elzhan Kabyshev, Head of Legal Practice at the Eurasian Digital Foundation, took part in an online discussion dedicated to the current digital media landscape in Kazakhstan.
He spoke about progress in the strategic litigation against internet restrictions through shutdown.kz and explained the types of blocking applied in the country from a legal perspective. Statistics show that 90% of internet content blockings occur extrajudicially, by decision of the Ministry of Culture and Information.
The event was highly relevant, as the digital environment increasingly poses risks for journalists and editorial offices in Kazakhstan and the region. Account hacks, phishing attacks, website blockings, and data leaks affect not only media resilience but also source safety and audience trust.
During the discussion, journalists, experts, and human rights defenders examined current threats, ways to reduce risks, responses to attacks or blockings, and possible formats of systemic cooperation between media, the IT community, and state institutions to protect freedom of speech online.
Speakers included:
In conclusion, participants agreed that timely awareness of risks and readiness to face them helps reduce potential damage and maintain media resilience in the face of digital challenges. Experts also presented practical recommendations: proactive protection of web resources and accounts, careful handling of personal data, and ensuring the ability to restore journalistic materials in advance, including through backup storage across different sources.
He spoke about progress in the strategic litigation against internet restrictions through shutdown.kz and explained the types of blocking applied in the country from a legal perspective. Statistics show that 90% of internet content blockings occur extrajudicially, by decision of the Ministry of Culture and Information.
The event was highly relevant, as the digital environment increasingly poses risks for journalists and editorial offices in Kazakhstan and the region. Account hacks, phishing attacks, website blockings, and data leaks affect not only media resilience but also source safety and audience trust.
During the discussion, journalists, experts, and human rights defenders examined current threats, ways to reduce risks, responses to attacks or blockings, and possible formats of systemic cooperation between media, the IT community, and state institutions to protect freedom of speech online.
Speakers included:
- Gulmira Birzhanova, lawyer at Legal Media Center
- Dinara Egeubaeva, TV host, journalist
- Dmitry Lozhnikov, journalist
- Adil Jalilov, founder of FactCheck.kz
- Lukpan Akhmedyarov, author of YouTube channel Prosto Zhurnalistika
- Moldir Utegenova, project manager in digital rights and gender equality at MediaNet
- Alena Blinova, media literacy program expert at MediaNet
In conclusion, participants agreed that timely awareness of risks and readiness to face them helps reduce potential damage and maintain media resilience in the face of digital challenges. Experts also presented practical recommendations: proactive protection of web resources and accounts, careful handling of personal data, and ensuring the ability to restore journalistic materials in advance, including through backup storage across different sources.
