Paper long abstract:

Until the mid-2000, Kazakhstan had been lagging behind in "high-tech" with access to the internet about only 3% in 2005. However, liberalisation of the media market in larger scales led to rapid increase, figure reached 54% in 2013, and 77% in 2017. As a result, national-level digitisation has raised public awareness equipping activists with tools to raise their voice against the corrupt regime. The power of the online civic activism to mobilize masses and attract popular support was never clearer than in the nine-month oil worker's protests in Zhanazozen, Western Kazakhstan; while it showed its full potential in state's U-turn on passing the land reform amendments. However, the threat from this online movement has led to a set of amendments that put severe restrictions on internet and curbed press freedom. Independent press and websites were investigated, journalists and bloggers were arrested for alleged anti-regime sentiments. Popular online platforms (Twitter, Skype, Youtube, Instagram, WhatsApp) have been blocked on frequent occasions.

Meanwhile, state restrictions on online freedom were accompanied by increasing government presence in social media. State officials and government bodies have created accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get closer to ordinary individuals by responding to their concerns directly; while, activists are under threat of jail for using these same platforms. Moreover, the government has initiated funding of "chosen bloggers" to promote regime ideals. By these means, the state promotes an image of accountable and dependable government while damaging the online sources of civic empowerment. While authoritarian state's eagerness to deploy all its constitutional power to impose restrictions on anti-regime online activism should not be a surprise, the case study illustrates how Kazakh government has tried to manage the growing popularity of online platforms by exploring unprecedented ways to reach out the population. In doing so, it attempts to transform online social network into government channel so to ensure regime survival.