Kyrgyzstan - June 2023

A law adopted by the Kyrgyz parliament on 22 June provides for fines for a broad array of online content deemed to be “harmful information” to children, ranging from discussing “non-traditional sexual relations” to disrespecting parents or encouraging the consumption of drugs or alcohol. The Digital Development Ministry says it will work with Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to block such information. The Media Policy Institute, a local press freedom organisation, has said the Ministry appears to not understand how Meta operates, and is one of the opponents of the law who argue it is instead a tool of censorship and will restrict access to information in the country.

Sources: Eurasianet, Parliament of Kyrgyzstan, Media Policy Institute