Kazakhstan is banning smartphones in government buildings in an effort to prevent information leaks –- a leaked document showed.
A government memo leaked to the media on March 17 said officials and their visitors would have to leave their smartphones at the door of government buildings from March 24.
The document cited "increasingly frequent cases of confidential information leaking through the WhatsApp mobile application."
It said only basic mobile phones with no camera or internet access can be used inside official buildings.
Former Deputy Education Minister Murat Abenov said civil servants would now "carry smartphones in their socks."
The Kazakh government has not commented on the leaked document's authenticity.
