In August 2026, the Centre for Countering Disinformation processed 13 cases of the dissemination of false and manipulative information.
WHICH TOPICS WERE USED MOST OFTEN
The review notes that many messages were based not on completely fabricated events, but on the distortion of real facts, decisions and official statements.
The topics most actively exploited in such publications related to income and taxes, social payments, education, healthcare, the security of personal data, and government services.
HOW REAL FACTS WERE USED TO CHANGE THE MEANING OF MESSAGES
Among the refuted messages was information about the alleged complete halt of oil transportation by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC). It is noted that the temporary suspension of certain operations was presented as a complete cessation of transportation, even though oil acceptance and tank filling continued.
The Centre also refuted reports of an alleged moratorium on personnel moves within the security forces. The Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 295-VIII of 3 June 2026 cited in the publications contains no provisions prohibiting dismissals, transfers, appointments or other personnel moves involving military personnel or employees of law enforcement and special state bodies.
Separately, claims about the introduction of a 5% tax on individuals' interest income from bank deposits were refuted. According to the Centre's materials, such interest is not subject to individual income tax, and the Government is not considering introducing such a tax.
STATE SYSTEMS AND WELL-KNOWN COMPANIES IN THE CROSSHAIRS
The cases examined included information about an alleged hack of eGov and the leak of data belonging to 15 million Kazakhstanis. A technical inspection found no evidence of a hack of eGov information systems, and the materials published on the dark web do not constitute an export of data from that system.
The Centre also examined false messages about a giveaway of 1,000 apartments by BI Group. It is reported that the company has not announced and is not running such a giveaway.
Another case concerned an image of a tigress allegedly spotted in the vicinity of Balkhash. The Centre reported that the published photograph is not linked to the tigress released from the Ile-Balkhash reserve and shows signs of possible generation using artificial intelligence (AI). The animal's location is being tracked using a GPS/GSM collar.
WHY SUCH MESSAGES CAN APPEAR CONVINCING
The publication notes that modern information manipulation is often built on real facts. To change the meaning of an original message, it is enough to add an unverified detail, alter the scale of an event, or present a targeted measure as a decision affecting all citizens.
Particular attention in the August review is paid to the use of AI. Generated images can be perceived as visual confirmation of an event, which is why verifying the origin and source of such content is becoming especially important.
