SIM cards for children introduce in Kazakhstan

By Alimat Aliyeva

The Kazakh authorities are considering the introduction of special SIM cards designed to restrict children and teenagers' access to certain websites and social networks, Azernews reports.

This was announced during a briefing in Astana by Adil Ospan, the Deputy Minister of Education of Kazakhstan. According to him, these SIM cards would be part of a special mobile service plan tailored for children and teenagers.

"Parents will be able to monitor their children's phone usage and track where their children are using the mobile app," Ospan explained. "At the same time, these SIM cards will restrict access to websites or social networks with certain age-related restrictions."

Although the deputy minister did not specify exactly when the program would be implemented, he mentioned that discussions on the introduction of these children's SIM cards are currently underway with the relevant government agencies.

This initiative reflects Kazakhstan's increasing focus on digital safety for young people, a growing concern worldwide as children and teens are exposed to online risks. By implementing such a system, Kazakhstan may be following the lead of other countries that have introduced similar measures to safeguard minors from harmful content on the internet. This move could also prompt further discussions about balancing digital freedom with protection in the context of children’s online behavior, possibly influencing other nations to adopt similar policies.