Kazakhstan: Proposals Made to Limit SIM Card Sales

The Majilis is discussing ways to combat telephone fraud; one option from the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry is state control and restrictions on the issuance of SIM cards, Orda reports.

Vice Minister of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry Askhat Orazbek has proposed his solution to deputies to combat telephone fraud in Kazakhstan.

We will legislatively initiate the return of the state numbering plan. Now, telecom operators issue numbers to users and SIM cards, and we want to return the numbering plan to the state so that citizens receive a mobile or landline number on the e-government portal or through the eGov-mobile application. In addition, we will limit the number of SIM cards per individual. And legal entities that currently receive SIM cards for commercial use, possibly without control, will have to justify its use for each number: for an individual, for commercial purposes, or for some other device.

The Vice Minister said his ministry would come forward with this initiative shortly.

He did not touch on the issue of selling data, however.

The problem of online fraud was discussed at the Central Asia Fintech Summit forum in Almaty. Experts noted that over the past five years, Internet fraudsters have begun deceiving citizens 42 times more often, mastered artificial intelligence, and learned to bypass biometric security.

Original Author: Anastasia Prilepskaya