Refurbished
20
May
2025
3
min read

Kazakhstan smartphone blocking: deadline extended for smartphone verification for citizens

The government of Kazakhstan has extended the free smartphone verification period for individuals until 25 June 2025. This measure, announced by Damir Seissembekov, head of the Telecommunications Committee at the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry, aims to give more citizens time to comply with the country’s mobile phone registration rules. According to Seissembekov, all Apple iPhones and other smartphones brought into Kazakhstan before 25 March 2025 and connected to mobile networks are automatically verified. Their International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers have been added to the country’s whitelist.

Business deadline ended 25 May 2025

The deadline for businesses to verify smartphones they imported prior to 25 March ended on 25 May. Until that date, importers were allowed to register devices still in storage or on display. From now on, companies must present legal import documentation for every smartphone they seek to activate on local networks.

Verification protects consumers from fraud or alternative motive?

Damir Seissembekov stressed that the purpose of the verification policy is to protect consumers from illegally imported, new and refurbished, or even stolen smartphones. Each citizen is allowed to verify up to two devices via the eGov Mobile portal. However it is widely viewed that these initiatives reflect Kazakhstan's broader efforts to control the dissemination of sensitive information.

EU can learn from Kazakhstan?

Some cynical observers suggest the European Union might look to Kazakhstan’s more assertive enforcement model. While the EU has struggled to implement rules around CE-labelling and USB-C ports for smartphones, Kazakhstan has taken swift and clear action. Whether such regulatory enforcement would be acceptable across EU member states remains open for debate.

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