Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Google Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy in Emerging Markets Doron Avni has commented on the launch of Google Pay in Uzbekistan, linking it to reforms in the regulation of personal data.
According to Avni, Uzbekistan revised its personal data legislation this year, moving away from a blanket requirement to store all data exclusively within the country. Instead, it adopted a more flexible approach based on data classification and balanced regulation.
“When governments establish clear rules aligned with international standards, global technologies enter the market faster,” the Google executive wrote on LinkedIn.
Avni said the launch of Google Pay gives millions of people in Uzbekistan access to digital payments and demonstrates how regulatory policy can influence the introduction of international technology services.
The service launch was announced during US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Uzbekistan to attend the C5+1 foreign ministers’ meeting in Samarkand. Avni said the visit reaffirmed the two countries’ interest in accelerating digital modernisation.
He also identified cybersecurity, cloud technologies and digital education as other promising areas for cooperation.
Avni thanked the government of Uzbekistan and US Ambassador Jonathan Henick for their cooperation, as well as the Google team involved in implementing the project.
“Modern policy should not remain only on paper — it directly affects people’s wallets,” he said, adding that Uzbekistan’s example shows how a pragmatic approach to regulation can create new opportunities for technology adoption.
