Telegram, the messaging app that has recently attracted considerable attention among cryptocurrency fans, aims to open an office in Kazakhstan. This step is logical, given the current improvement in compliance and interaction with the company’s regulators.
The agreement was announced by the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan on October 14. According to the Ministry, Telegram will approve a local manager for the new office.
Zhaslan Madiyev, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Digital Development, said that Tulsa physically arrived in Kazakhstan and will be important in increasing content regulation on the platform. ”This is crucial to enhance control over content,” Madiyev said, thus meeting the government’s need to regulate digital activities within the country.
The popularity of the platform in Kazakhstan proves another area for closer cooperation. In an interview with Durov, in the big numbers, more than 12.5 mln Kazakhs, half of the 20 mln residents, use the app monthly. This is a 25% increase compared to 2023.
Telegram collaborates with US tech giants for data protection
It was made during the Head of State’s visits to key US IT companies Meta, Apple, and US Chamber of Commerce members. During these discussions, the need to protect data and prevent fraud was displayed, topics that have emerged as more important during the application of social media platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp, owned by Meta.
In Q3 of 2024, Meta revealed that it could prevent 1.2 billion fake accounts worldwide by employing artificial intelligence in fraud detection.
According to Minister Madiyev, Kazakhstan remains actively cooperating with its international counterparts to safeguard its citizens in the digital space, including data protection and the fight against fake news.
Telegram has also opened an office in Kazakhstan, which aligns with the company’s growing trend of seeking license approvals worldwide as it has faced more regulatory pressure in other jurisdictions.
CEO Pavel Durov has been under investigation in France since late August over a spate of unlawful activities on the platform. As a result, Telegram increased its commitment to coordinating with authorities and willingly provided personal information, including IP addresses and phone numbers, in cases where the users violated rules enforced by the application.
In September, Durov reported that Telegram enhanced the search engine with new features to filter out questionable content and use AI to identify unlawful actions. This is prevalent in the latest changes, as the company seeks to enhance the safety and security of its platform due to increasing legal and regulatory pressure.
The office in Kazakhstan is one of the number of international offices that Telegram launched to improve compliance with the country’s regulations. Although the company has not publicly discussed the development, the signs indicate it plans to enhance its international relations with the regulatory authorities. The more Telegram expands its user base, for example, in Central Asia, the more it will depend on its possibility of cooperating with the authorities.
