ABSTRACT This study investigates how exposure to critical social media content influences political engagement in authoritarian regimes, focusing on Kazakhstan. Addressing a gap in existing research, this paper examines the moderating role of state media fairness perceptions. Using representative survey data (N = 6,800), the analyses confirm that critical social media exposure is positively linked with political engagement, including state-sanctioned activities like party contact and legislative engagement. However, this effect varies significantly based on individuals’ perceptions of state media fairness. These results suggest that critical content can foster broader political participation and highlight the nuanced role of state media in shaping political behavior in closed states.