Kazakhstan KNB updates telecom surveillance equipment requirements
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (KNB) issued an order on August 21 updating technical requirements for telecom equipment used in operational-search activities and collection of subscriber data. The order mandates interception, recording, storage, and export capabilities for voice, video, SMS, and billing data, and takes effect 10 days after official publication. Some provisions will come into force on December 24, 2026.
Key Facts
- KNB Chairman Ermek Sagimbayev signed the order on August 21, 2026.
- The order requires telecom equipment to intercept, record, store, listen to, view, and export data of specified subscribers, including phone audio/video calls, SMS, text, graphic, audio, video messages, and billing information.
- For internet data networks, the requirements include collection of network addresses, visits to internet resources, identifiers of internet resources, data transfer protocols, and the ability to manage traffic of specified subscribers.
- Service information export must be in CSV format, and a daily volume of records must be exported in no more than four hours.
- The order takes effect 10 calendar days after first official publication, with some changes effective from December 24, 2026.
Surveillance Equipment Mandate
The KNB order applies to switching equipment of fixed, cellular, satellite, and other mobile communications. Such equipment must have means to intercept, record, store, listen to, view, and export data of specified subscribers. The data covered includes telephone audio and video conversations, SMS, text, graphic, audio and video messages, and billing details. For internet access networks, the requirements extend to network addresses, visits to internet resources, identifiers of internet resources, and data transfer protocols. The equipment must also allow traffic management for specified subscribers.
Service Information Collection
Separate requirements cover collection and storage of service information about all subscribers of the communication network. Equipment must collect billing data, provided services, location of subscriber devices including roaming subscribers, internet addresses, and data transfer protocols. Export of information must be possible to external media and external digital systems. Service information export format is CSV, and a daily volume of records must be exported in no more than four hours.
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Kazakhstan KNB updates telecom surveillance equipment requirements
