Photo hosting service Shutterstock has not been opening for Kazakh users for several weeks. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Readers told Kursiv about this, and the information was also confirmed by the photo hosting service. Shutterstock's technical support told Kursiv that using a VPN is the only available workaround.
"Attempts are being made to contact the government and major internet providers there to understand the cause and how to fix it, but preparing official requests takes time," Shutterstock said.
Kursiv sent an official request to the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan to find out the reason and details of the blocking.
This is not the first time Shutterstock has been blocked in Kazakhstan. In November 2022, the Ministry of Culture blocked the photo hosting service for distributing materials containing casino advertising.
Shutterstock is an American public company from New York, owner of one of the world's largest platforms for licensed visual content: stock photos, videos, illustrations, music, and editorial materials. It was founded in 2003 by Jon Oringer, and its shares are traded on the NYSE under the ticker SSTK.
In recent years, the company has been developing not only the classic stock business but also solutions in generative AI, data, and content distribution; in 2024, it closed the acquisition of Envato. For 2025, Shutterstock's revenue was $989.9 million, net profit was $45.5 million, and in 2026, the company is also advancing a merger deal with Getty Images, which is still undergoing regulatory procedures.