The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has proposed a policy that would require individuals to present a National Identity Card or driver’s licence before accessing pornographic websites in Ghana, as part of efforts to prevent minors from viewing sexually explicit content online.
Speaking at the Fourth Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Values and Sovereignty, the minister said the government is considering the measure as part of broader efforts to protect children from harmful digital content and encourage responsible internet use.
He pointed to the United Kingdom’s age-verification system for adult websites as a model Ghana could adopt to strengthen child protection online.
“It is important that we understand the danger that we face with pornography. We don’t need to rewrite the script. Today, in the United Kingdom, for you to access a pornographic website, you need to provide your driver’s licence so they can determine that you are 18 years old,” he said.
According to the minister, concerns over the impact of pornography and the growing sexualisation of young people have made such interventions necessary.
Cabinet consideration
Mr George disclosed that the proposal is being prepared for Cabinet consideration.
“We are working towards taking this to Cabinet to ensure that before anyone accesses an X-rated site, they must provide either a driver’s licence or a national ID card. This will help us identify who is accessing such sites and prevent children from being exposed to that content,” he stated.
He warned that early exposure to sexually explicit material could have adverse effects on children’s development, values and decision-making.
Protecting Ghanaian children
The minister stressed that efforts to safeguard African values are fundamentally about protecting children.
“The fight against Africa is not against those of us sitting in this room. We were a lost case. The fight is against our children,” he said.
He recalled that one of the key motivations behind the introduction of the Family Values Bill was the need to preserve the innocence of Ghanaian children.
“Our children must be protected and safe. We were protected by our parents in an African family setting. We must do the same for our children and grandchildren,” he added.
Mr George maintained that shielding children from inappropriate online content should remain a national priority as internet access continues to expand across the country.
If approved by Cabinet, the proposal would make Ghana one of the few African countries to introduce mandatory age verification for access to adult-content websites. Under the policy, users would be required to submit identification documents to confirm they are at least 18 years old before accessing X-rated platforms.
The minister did not indicate when the proposal would be submitted to Cabinet or when implementation could begin.
