Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has announced that a bill aimed at tackling misinformation and disinformation will soon be laid before Parliament for debate and approval.
In an interview on Friday, April 11, the Minister emphasized that the proposed legislation is not intended to stifle freedom of expression or criticisms of the government.
“Irrespective of your political colour, if you engage in peddling of fake news, the law will deal with you,” he stated.
Mr. George, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, had earlier in the week disclosed at a press conference in Accra that the government was preparing to introduce the specialized legislation to address the growing menace of false and manipulated information in Ghana’s digital space.
He first hinted at the initiative during parliamentary proceedings on Tuesday, February 5, where he highlighted the urgent need for a robust legal framework to combat the spread of fake news across both traditional and social media.
“The ministry will be coming again to deal with the issues of mis- and disinformation with legislation to this House. And I will urge members of Parliament to support it,” he stated on the floor of the House.
Mr. George cited several recent incidents to illustrate the threat posed by misinformation, including a case involving Oliver Bakavomawa, who was summoned before the Appointments Committee based on a doctored social media post.
He also mentioned how altered images of himself were presented during parliamentary deliberations, underscoring the dangers of manipulated digital content.
“Even in this chamber yesterday, there was misinformation. In fact, in the past one week, this House has carried out business on two occasions on the back of misinformation,” he noted.
The Minister reiterated the government’s determination to hold individuals accountable for deliberately spreading false information, warning that such acts will attract legal consequences once the bill is passed into law.
“It’s important that we take misinformation and disinformation seriously and deal with it once and for all. And crack the whip and make sure that persons who are actively engaged in this face the full rigours of the law,” he said.
