Abstract
Abstract: The rapid digitalization of Central Asia has produced a complex information environment in which the pace of digital adoption frequently surpasses the development of media oversight. In Kazakhstan, the convergence of high platform dependence and evolving political regulations underscores the importance of studying information integrity for regional stability and democratic discourse. This article investigates the operation of fact-checking on social media in Kazakhstan from 2017 to 2025, employing a structured narrative review of 54 scholarly and institutional sources. Utilizing the information disorder framework and hybrid media system theory, the analysis is conducted at the structural, institutional, and societal levels. The findings indicate that misinformation circulates through a unique combination of concentrated platform use, regulatory displacement into private messaging channels, linguistic segmentation between Kazakh and Russian spheres, and temporal asymmetry between claims and corrections. Fact-checking, led by Factcheck.kz and Stopfake.kz, is professionally recognized but institutionally fragile, functioning under governance conditions that influence both its agenda and reach. At the audience level, an exposure–correction gap, a youth literacy paradox, and weak institutional trust limit the effectiveness of corrections. This study is significant as it addresses an empirical gap by focusing on fact-checking as a specific institutional response rather than general misinformation. Assessing the application of global theories within a hybrid media system offers a structured framework for scholars and practitioners to understand the conditions necessary for effective verification in politically sensitive, platform-dominated environments. Keywords: fact-checking, misinformation, Kazakhstan, social media, hybrid media system, information disorder, media literacy, Central Asia.