Law No. 94-V Kazakhstan
Overview
Kazakhstan’s Law on Personal Data Protection (Law No. 94-V), originally enacted on May 21, 2013, governs the collection, processing, and protection of personal data in Kazakhstan. It was amended in 2024 to strengthen data protection measures and ensure alignment with international standards. The law aims to safeguard the rights and freedoms of individuals in relation to their personal data while regulating data processing activities by organizations operating in Kazakhstan.
Regulation Summary
Timeline
- May 21, 2013: Law enacted.
- November 2013: Law takes effect.
- Multiple amendments: Updated several times, including major revisions in 2021, 2022, and 2025.
- Latest amendments: Effective January 7, 2025.
What Businesses Are Affected
- All organizations processing personal data in Kazakhstan, including public and private entities.
- Foreign businesses processing data of Kazakhstani residents, provided they operate within Kazakhstan or use local data processing infrastructure.
- Entities handling sensitive data, such as biometric, health, financial, or criminal records.
Exemptions
- Personal data processing for exclusively personal or household purposes.
- Government agencies processing data for national security, law enforcement, taxation, or crime prevention.
- Journalistic, literary, artistic, or academic research where ethical guidelines are followed.
Responsibilities for Businesses
- Lawful Processing: Data collection must have a legal basis such as consent, contractual necessity, or legal obligation.
- Purpose Limitation: Data must only be used for the purpose it was collected.
- Data Security: Organizations must implement technical and organizational measures to prevent data breaches.
- Accountability: Data controllers must maintain compliance records and appoint responsible officers where required.
Specific Responsibilities for Website Owners
- Cookie Consent: Websites must obtain consent before storing non-essential cookies.
- Privacy Notice: A clear and accessible privacy policy must be provided.
- User Rights Portal: Websites should offer an interface for users to exercise their data rights.
- Secure Data Transmission: Websites must encrypt personal data collected via forms.
Additional Requirements
- Cross-Border Data Transfers: Allowed only if the receiving country provides an adequate level of protection or specific safeguards are implemented.
- Data Protection Officer (DPO): Required only for operators processing large-scale or sensitive personal data, as per legal requirements.
- Impact Assessments: While not explicitly mandated, businesses must implement security measures to mitigate risks associated with high-risk processing activities, including profiling and credit reporting.
Data Subject Rights
- Access: Individuals can request copies of their personal data.
- Rectification: Right to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Erasure: Right to request deletion of personal data under specific conditions.
- Portability: Right to obtain and transfer personal data in a structured format.
- Objection: Right to refuse data processing for direct marketing or other purposes.
Restriction: Right to limit processing in specific circumstances.
Enforcement
- Regulatory Body: The Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry, along with the Personal Data Protection Authority, oversees enforcement.
- Fines: Penalties range from 100 to 10,000 Monthly Calculation Index (MCI) (~$300 to $30,000 USD) depending on the severity of the violation.
- Sanctions: In severe cases, businesses may face suspension of data processing activities, and responsible individuals may be subject to criminal penalties, including imprisonment.
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