In September 2026, the Anti-Disinformation Centre identified and processed 13 cases of the spread of false and manipulative information in Kazakhstan. Among them were reports of the free distribution of a million flats, invented restrictions for schoolchildren and distorted information about emergencies.
WHAT FAKES WERE IDENTIFIED IN SEPTEMBER
A significant portion of the identified reports was based on real events to which invented details were attributed or a different meaning was given.
In particular, claims were circulating in the information space about an alleged complete ban on notaries cancelling executive inscriptions, fines for black school trousers in Astana and the need to periodically renew a registered marriage. The Centre classified all these reports as unreliable.
A separate group consisted of publications in which real incidents were accompanied by unconfirmed details. Thus, reports about the evacuation of residents of the village of Urnek due to a wildfire did not correspond to reality. The fire itself, which spread to the territory of Karabalyk district, was confirmed, however no evacuation of the population was carried out.
HOW REAL EVENTS WERE TURNED INTO FALSE REPORTS
In September, the Centre identified several cases of the use of the names of state figures and official video materials to give unreliable information the appearance of reliability.
In particular, a clip was circulating on the internet with the claim of an allegedly planned free distribution of 1 million flats to Kazakhstanis. At the same time, state bodies made no such statements.
The name of Minister of Finance Madi Takiyev was also used in reports about licences allegedly issued by him for investment activity. However, the Ministry of Finance is not authorised to license brokerage, dealer and other professional activity on the financial market.
Another example was a fake quote from Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in which he was attributed with harsh statements about Kazakhstan. There were no such statements in the original speech.
FOREIGN VIDEOS WERE PASSED OFF AS EVENTS IN KAZAKHSTAN
The Centre paid separate attention to video materials that were distributed without indicating their original origin.
In one of the clips, teenagers were riding bicycles and scooters along a school corridor. The video was presented as filmed in Kazakhstan, although in fact it was published in another country.
In addition, fragments of the feature film "Batken" by the Kyrgyzfilm studio were passed off as real events related to the tragedy on the Caspian Sea.
WHAT METHODS OF SPREADING FAKES WERE HIGHLIGHTED BY SPECIALISTS
Based on the results of September, the Centre highlighted several recurring techniques for spreading unreliable information:
- Substitution of context of real legislative procedures and individual situations.
- Addition of invented details to real incidents.
- Use of names of officials and state positions to spread fakes.
- Substitution of the origin of videos from other countries and archival recordings.
- Repeated spreading of previously debunked fakes.
WHY FAKES REMAIN CONVINCING
The main feature of the cases identified in September is that creating a false report does not always require completely inventing an event. It is enough to change the date, place, circumstances or content of the accompanying text.
As a result, a genuine video may be accompanied by an unreliable description, and a real legislative procedure may become the basis for a false claim about new restrictions.