BigTech and Not So Big Countries – Evaluating Efforts of Medium-Sized Coun-tries to Regulate the Information Field and to Control Global Bigtech Companies: the Case of Kazakhstan

Abstract

This paper examines the ambivalent situation on the information field for medium-sized countries. The main global web platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp play an essential role in the spreading of various types of information and become the main means of communication in the virtual world. This has become the norm and has even resulted in smaller countries, with less than 30 million people, facing the problem of cultural identity preservation and data encrypting. The article deals with the issue of local governments addressing the power of global giants by means of technology. It provides decision-makers with a perspective on the ways to handle the co-existence of innovation, regulation, and cultural identity vis-a-vis the world’s technology leaders. The research can be referred to as new or unique digital governance material related to digital e-literacy of the digital population of middle countries, like Kazakhstan, and also not only contributing to the problem of digitalisation, but also to the issues of digital literacy of the local community. The paper researches official governmental documents, including laws, conceptions and other juridical papers. The proposed suggestions cover infrastructure financing, new business encouragement, and balanced legal stipulations. Kazakhstan, for example, must give its best to develop “Digital Kazakhstan”, improve local as well as global cooperation, and boost digital sovereignty, by negotiating with BigTech.

Keywords: Information security, new media, social network, information distribution.