Reports circulating on social media and Reddit have raised concerns that the personal data of Uzbek citizens may have been leaked from government information systems and shared on darknet forums.
In response, several state agencies have issued statements confirming that investigations are underway, and that their systems remain secure.
According to posts shared on Reddit, links were posted to online platforms, including darknet sites, allegedly containing data from Uzbek state institutions. Some users claimed the leak could involve personal information on as many as 15 million citizens. These claims quickly gained traction across social media, prompting official responses.
On February 3, Uzbekistan’s Cybersecurity Center acknowledged the reports and confirmed that it had launched an investigation. “In recent days, messages have been observed on social networks about the alleged dissemination of personal data of Uzbek citizens from certain state information systems,” the Center said in a statement. It added that a comprehensive review is ongoing and that further details would be shared upon completion of the inquiry.
The Center also issued guidance to the public, urging citizens not to disclose personal information to third parties, to use complex usernames and passwords when accessing state and other digital systems, and to avoid entering data through suspicious links.
In response to public speculation that information from the recent population and agricultural census may have been compromised, the Statistics Agency also issued a statement. It affirmed that all data collected during the online census, conducted between January 15 and 31, is securely stored. “All collected data are kept in encrypted form on a separate server. There is no reason for concern regarding the safety of census-related information,” the agency said.
The State Tax Committee similarly denied any breach involving its systems. Addressing claims circulating on social media and various websites, the committee said it had implemented all necessary cybersecurity measures and that its interactive services and systems were functioning normally and without interruption.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs echoed these reassurances, stating that the integrity of its information systems is fully intact. The ministry confirmed that no unauthorized access to personal data under its control had been detected.
Authorities emphasized that investigations are ongoing and urged the public to rely on official sources for updates as checks continue.
