Uzbekistan Investigates Alleged Leak of Citizen Data on Darknet Forums Reports surfaced on social media and Reddit this week suggesting that the personal data of Uzbek citizens may have been leaked from government systems and shared on darknet forums. Claims circulated that the breach could involve records of up to 15 million individuals, prompting swift responses from state agencies. On February 3, Uzbekistan’s Cybersecurity Center acknowledged the allegations, confirming an ongoing investigation into the purported data exposure. In a statement, the Center noted that while the claims had gained traction online, no conclusive evidence had been presented. Authorities pledged to release further details once the inquiry was complete. Several government bodies, including the Statistics Agency, the State Tax Committee, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, issued statements denying breaches in their systems. The Statistics Agency clarified that data from the recent online population and agricultural census conducted between January 15 and 31 remained securely encrypted on isolated servers. The Tax Committee and Ministry of Internal Affairs similarly asserted that their systems had not been compromised, with the latter stating no unauthorized access to its databases had been detected. Despite official reassurances, the incident has raised concerns about potential vulnerabilities in state information systems. Authorities continue to urge the public to rely on verified sources for updates as the investigation progresses.