State Counselor highlights need to form new digital ethics
Digital platforms have destroyed the monopoly of traditional media. Now every smartphone user can become a source of news. This has expanded freedom of opinion, but also created a flood of disinformation and manipulation. This is State Counselor Erlan Karin states in his article "Common-Sense Policy," published in the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda Newspaper as of November 27, 2025, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to him, the world is undergoing rapid transformations that are changing the foundations of social life and value systems. Geopolitical tensions and technological revolution are only outward manifestations of deeper processes, affecting the stability and security of societies.
“Digital platforms have destroyed the monopoly of traditional media. Now every smartphone user can become a source of news. This has expanded freedom of opinion, but also created a flood of disinformation and manipulation. If fake news used to appear spontaneously, today it is often deliberately produced to influence public opinion,” he says.
To counter these threats, he reminded, the Center for Combating Disinformation had been established within the Central Communications Service for the purpose of detecting and neutralizing manipulations, and protecting the media space.
The State Counselor also raised the problem of “information noise,” when important information drowns in a sea of comments, emotional statements, and superficial interpretations, “info-racket,” when certain bloggers and activists artificially inflate topics and then offer to delete posts for payment, and “cancel culture,” which is gaining strength, becoming a tool of pressure and harassment.
He stressed the necessity of not only blocking disinformation but also forming a new digital ethics - a culture of responsible consumption and dissemination of information based on common sense and respect.
He emphasized that systemic response is needed, including legislative measures, saying that responsibility may be introduced for calls to boycott based on discriminatory grounds - ethnic, religious, linguistic, gender, and others.
“Overall, overly emotional and unprofessional discussion of sensitive issues such as interethnic relations, religion, language, and foreign policy creates risks of social destabilization. That is why last year I outlined these “red lines” and urged everyone to respect them. This is not censorship or taboo, but a call for common sense in such discussions,” he noted.
"When it comes to public stability, the state will not compromise and will, in accordance with the law, counter any attempts at destructive informational influence and the incitement of hatred," Karin said.
He recalled that the Parliament is now considering amendments introducing administrative responsibility for spreading illegal content that threatens socio-political stability.
“This is a normal function of any state -to stop actions that break the law and challenge society,” he emphasized.
“However, protecting stability cannot be reduced only to bans. Citizens must rely on reliable sources, show common sense, and take responsibility for their actions. A culture of dialogue, restraint, and respect for opponents should become the hallmarks of a mature society,” concluded he.
