Kazakhstan’s army switches from WhatsApp and Telegram to national messenger

Tengrinews.kz - Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces have begun transitioning to the national messenger Aitu for official communications.
Previously, WhatsApp and Telegram were often used for data exchange, which posed potential security risks. According to the Ministry of Defense, the move to Aitu — which operates under Kazakhstan’s jurisdiction and meets national requirements for data storage and processing — will ensure full control over the army’s internal communications.
The phased integration is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, taking into account the organizational structure of the armed forces and existing communication channels.
Deputy Defense Minister for Digitalization Darkhan Akhmediev emphasized that adopting the domestic messenger will provide reliable data protection and help safeguard the country’s digital sovereignty.

“The use of national IT products is a global trend aimed at protecting sovereignty in the digital space. Transitioning the Armed Forces to Aitu will prevent leaks of official data and ensure the proper level of protection for information classified as official use only,” Akhmediev stated.

Earlier, during a meeting on AI development, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed the government to consider transferring all communications involving personal data to the secure national messenger Aitu.