Former Minister for Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has cautioned that the government’s proposed Cybersecurity Authority and Amendment Bill, if passed in its current form, could threaten freedom of speech in Ghana.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, the former Minister for Information said the government’s move to merge cybercrime regulation with misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech laws could result in the criminalization of public expression.
“There are two bills: one addresses misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, and the publication of other types of information, while the other focuses on cybersecurity authority and amendment issues. When you read these bills together, it seems that the government aims to create a division within the cybersecurity authority that will tackle cybercrime and cyberbullying, along with misinformation and disinformation.
“What is concerning is that this could effectively criminalize certain forms of speech. If the government disagrees with someone’s expression, that individual could potentially face up to 10 years in jail. The bills state that if you publish or post false information on any social media platform or even in a WhatsApp group, you could be imprisoned. Additionally, if you are a media organization, your license could be revoked,” he warned.
He described the proposed legislation as a “dangerous path,” stressing that in a democracy, civil or administrative penalties should be used to address misinformation rather than imprisonment.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah urged the government to consider expert and stakeholder feedback before finalizing the Bill.
“This is a dangerous path for the government to take, as every democracy requires freedom of speech. There are civil or administrative penalties that could be implemented instead of jail time. We hope that by the time the government concludes its consultations, they will listen to policymakers and experts in the field or industry,” he added.
The Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill, 2025, currently before Parliament’s Communications Committee, seeks to update the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) to tackle emerging online threats and strengthen digital security infrastructure.
However, civil society groups and digital rights advocates have raised concerns that the amendments, if not carefully crafted, could undermine privacy, data protection, and freedom of expression.
Source: Farida Seidu| Adomonline
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