Kazakhstan has blocked access to Microsoft’s subsidiary LinkedIn.  

The Kazakhstan Government believed the site was displaying online casino advertisements, as well as numerous fake accounts.  

It is illegal to advertise online casinos in Kazakhstan, therefore the advertisements on LinkedIn were seen as a breach.  

The Ministry of Information and Social Development said in a statement it had asked LinkedIn to remove the advertisements and fake accounts, but the company was unable to do so.  

This led to the site's blocking, with Kazakhstan officials stating the country will restore access to the social network site if it addresses the complaints.  

Kazakhstan has close political and economic ties with neighbouring Russia, where LinkedIn has been blocked since 2016.  

Moscow believes the company has failed to transfer Russian user data to servers located within the country.  

Normally, the blocking of websites includes companies that offer online casinos or gambling directly through an illegal operation.  

However, due to strict online laws in Kazakhstan, the social network has fallen victim and had its access removed.  

In 2019, network data showed that social network sites like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Telegram, as well as several independent news and petition sites, were blocked across Kazakhstan.  

The sites were blocked as they were media outlets covering protests and demonstrations during the time of elections.