Aitu Messenger Ownership Includes Kazakhtelecom, Minister Says

Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry Zhaslan Madiyev commented on the domestic messenger Aitu, reports Orda.kz.

During a briefing at Aqorda, journalists asked about ownership of the national platform.

One of the shareholders of Aitu is Kazakhtelecom. I believe that the issue here is not who owns the messenger, the question should be asked differently. The issue should be about promoting national interests, information security, Madiyev said.

Today, we have a number of messenger platforms that civil servants abuse. We are not saying that all messengers should be banned. We are saying that enhanced information security measures must be taken for official information that is used in the context of work in the civil service and so on. And we are moving towards the fact that for official purposes, when sending some documents, official information, discussing official issues, civil servants use the national messenger, the minister explained.

Aitu was initially designed as an ordinary app for calls and messaging. It is now being adopted as the main communication platform for government agencies. The transition of officials to Aitu has already been decided, with the first ministries beginning the shift.

Supporters emphasize security and streamlined document flow, while critics warn of potential digital isolation and draw parallels with the Russian MAX.

Original Author: Zhadra Zhulmukhametova