Financial organisations in Kazakhstan may gain an additional channel for interacting with clients through the Aitu messenger. The Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM) is discussing this initiative with market participants.
WHAT THE REGULATOR IS EXACTLY DISCUSSING
According to official data from the ARDFM, the possibility of using Aitu as an additional secure channel for interaction between non-banking financial organisations and service consumers is being considered.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening information security and protecting clients' personal data amid a rise in fraudulent activity.
Meanwhile, according to Bloomberg, the regulator is also discussing a wider use of the domestic messenger in the financial sector with market participants.
THE AUTHORITIES' POSITION
As noted, the issue is being considered in the context of improving the level of data protection and control over communication channels.
Official materials emphasise that the use of national infrastructure could reduce the risks of information leaks and cross-border transfer of personal data.
WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE AITU PLATFORM
Aitu is a Kazakh messenger, launched in 2018 by BTS Digital, a company linked to Kazakhtelecom. Initially, the service functioned for exchanging messages; later, payment services and certain government services were added.
The topic of using Aitu has previously been a subject of discussion at the state level. At an expanded government meeting, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ordered a verification of the accuracy of data on the number of service users.
The reason was a statement by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Digital Development and Artificial Intelligence, Zhaslan Madiyev, that the app is used by over 700,000 people, which he described as "almost a million". Following this, the Head of State ordered a check on this data.
Additionally, developer Almas Kasymzhanov analysed open data from app stores. According to him, the App Store records around 10,000 downloads per month, and Google Play — fewer than 5,000, with a significant portion of user ratings being negative.