Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations of Ghana, Sam George has indicated that government is prepared to take difficult decisions to safeguard children online.

His comment comes amid progress to submit a policy on minors’ use of social media and access to pornographic content to Cabinet.

Speaking to the media weeks ago, he referred to Australia and UK who are already implementing social media laws denying children below 18 access to pornographic and adults contents.

"I will not run away as Minister...I will not run away from taking tough decisions to protect children. They may not like it today but tomorrow they will be grateful that we in authority today, with the responsibility of taking care of the future of our children, took action. If we fail to act today, the generation that's coming behind us will blame us and call us bad leaders. So we'll take the top decisions today," he assured.

In addition to this assurance, the Honourable Minister revealed that plans are underway to submit a proposed law to Cabinet next year for approval. Once passed, the law will empower authorities to direct all ISPs in the country to block access to adult and pornographic websites for anyone under 18.

He said, users will be required to verify their age using their Ghana Card through the NIA database, a measure aimed at tackling the growing challenge of pornography and harmful adult content among young people.

"This past week I asked the Cyber Security Authority to draft the policy document which they have submitted to the ministry and we are studying on the use of of social media by kids and access to especially pornographic sites. I'm taking it to cabinet and if cabinet approves it, it will give us the mandate and the authority to instruct all ISPs and telecom companies in the country to do what happens in the UK," Sam George stated.

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In Ghana, the law strictly prohibits pornography involving children and any act that exposes minors to sexual content. A child is defined as anyone under 18 years.

Under the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) and the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 (Act 772), it is a criminal offence to create, possess, share, publish, stream, or store sexual images or videos involving a child. This includes content shared through phones, social media, websites, or messaging platforms.

“Protection of Children Online.”

“Section 62—Indecent image or photograph of a child.”

“A person shall not take or permit to be taken an indecent image or photograph of a child, produce or procure an indecent image or photograph of a child for the purpose of the publication of the indecent image or photograph through a computer system, publish or stream, including live stream, an indecent image or photograph of a child through a computer or an electronic device, or possess an indecent image or photograph of a child in a computer system or on a computer or electronic record storage medium.”

“A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than two thousand five hundred penalty units and not more than five thousand penalty units or to a term of imprisonment of not less than five years and not more than ten years or to both.”

“For purposes of paragraph (c) of subsection (1), a person publishes an indecent photograph, image or visual recording if that person parts with possession of the indecent photograph, image or recording to another person or exposes or offers the indecent photograph, image or recording for acquisition by another person.”

“For the purpose of this section, ‘indecent image or photographs’ includes material images, visual recording, video, drawing or text that depicts a child engaged in sexually explicit or suggestive conduct, a person who appears to be a child engaged in sexually explicit or suggestive conduct, image representing a child engaged in sexually explicit or suggestive conduct, or sexually explicit images of children.”

“It also includes any written material, visual representation or audio recording that advocates or counsels sexual activity with children that would be an offence under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) or any other relevant enactment.”

“Any written material that has, as its dominant characteristic, the description, for a sexual purpose, of sexual activity with a child that would be an offence under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) or any other relevant enactment, or any audio recording that has as its dominant characteristic the description, presentation or representation, for a sexual purpose, of sexual activity with a child that would be an offence under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) or any other relevant enactment, is included.”