The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has defended the government’s consideration of a policy that would require individuals to present a National Identity Card or Driver’s Licence before accessing pornographic websites in Ghana.
According to him, the proposed measure is not aimed at monitoring, tracking, or publicly exposing individuals who visit adult websites, but rather at strengthening safeguards to protect children from harmful online content.
The proposal was first announced by the Minister during the 4th Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Values and Sovereignty held on Thursday, June 4, where discussions focused on family systems, child protection, and national values in the digital age.
Speaking on Channel One TV on Saturday, June 6, Sam George explained that government’s primary concern is the increasing ease with which minors are able to access explicit content online.
He said authorities have received several complaints from parents worried about the impact of unrestricted internet access on children.
“If you sit where we sit and you see and get the complaints that we get from parents. One of the things that broke my heart was a mother who came broken. Her seven-year-old son was addicted to pornography and how he found a pornographic site. He was watching a children’s cartoon on YouTube, and an advert appeared and he wanted to skip it, and it took him to the site, and he watched it and got addicted,” he recounted.
He stressed that the policy is intended to introduce stronger child protection measures and not to expose users of adult content.
“We have not said we are going to publish the list of persons visiting porn sites. What we are introducing is not new. The US and UK require verification to access X-rated sites,” he added.
