Kazakhstan bans popular Telegram dating chatbot over child safety concerns

Kazakhstan has banned the popular Telegram dating chatbot "Daivinchik" after the Alatau District Court in Almaty ruled against its operation. The decision came in response to a request from the district prosecutor's office.

The primary reason for the ban is the chatbot's failure to implement adequate age verification measures. Prosecutors argued that this oversight allowed underage users to access the platform, potentially leading to serious real-world consequences. The court noted that the platform permitted the free publication of minors' profiles and had already been implicated in a criminal case involving an offense against a minor.

The court has assigned the Ministry of Information and Public Development and the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry the responsibility of enforcing the ban. The ruling highlights growing concerns over the safety of minors on online platforms and the need for robust age verification systems.