Kazakhstan is considering the possibility of using the domestic messenger Aitu as an additional secure communication channel for the financial market. This was reported by the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARRFR) in response to a Bloomberg publication,El.kz reports.
According to the agency, the implementation of a platform for communication between non-banking financial organizations and clients is currently being discussed with market participants. The main goal of the initiative is to strengthen information security and reduce fraud risks in the provision of financial services.
Earlier, on April 7, Bloomberg, citing sources, reported that the regulator had recommended insurers and several financial companies move their client communications to Aitu.
According to the publication, this issue was discussed at a meeting with insurers and brokers following a corresponding letter from the regulator.
The ARRFR explained that the interest in Aitu is driven by the rise in fraud cases and the need for better protection of users' personal data.
Furthermore, transitioning to a unified communication channel should help standardize interactions between financial organizations and their clients. Among Aitu's key advantages, the agency highlighted that its servers and data are located within Kazakhstan's secure digital perimeter.
According to the regulator, this reduces the risk of financial traffic interception and eliminates the cross-border transfer of personal data.
Additional protection, as noted by the ARRFR, is provided by end-to-end encryption, the storage of access keys exclusively on user devices, and the use of Aitu Passport, which features mandatory biometric identification and a cloud-based digital signature.
This approach allows for the verification of both sender and recipient identities, minimizing threats such as phishing and spoofing.
The agency also emphasized that thanks to open APIs and business accounts, even small financial organizations will be able to connect to the service with minimal costs.
At the same time, Bloomberg notes that market participants still have concerns. These include Aitu's relatively small audience, potential integration costs, cybersecurity aspects, and the lack of a clear legal framework for transmitting personal and financial data via the platform.
The ARRFR assured that the initiative will be developed in detail, taking into account both the technological advantages of the messenger and the interests of all market participants.
