Jerome Geraldo writes: Protecting our kids online:
Jerome Geraldo writes that in 2024, there were over 23,000 reports of child sexual abuse material linked to Ghana - up from just 750 in 2016. A survey of senior high school girls in Accra found that one in three had been blackmailed on social media, either for money or for sex. Minister Samuel Nartey George confirmed in December 2025 that a proposal to use the Ghana Card as an age-verification tool is in the works.
The article states that Australia passed a law in December 2025 banning children under 16 from social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube. Platforms that break the rules face fines of up to AU$50 million. Greece announced in April 2026 that children under 15 will be blocked from social media entirely from January 2027. The UK, France, Spain, Germany, and Denmark are all passing or considering similar laws. The European Union is discussing a single legal standard across all 27 member states, with fines of up to 6% of a tech company's global income for non-compliance.
Ghana has the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038), which makes it a criminal offence to take, possess, or share indecent images of children online. It criminalises grooming. Penalties range from five to twenty-five years in prison. The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) is specifically mandated to promote the protection of children online, run public awareness campaigns, and push platforms and telecoms to do better.
Quick Summary
Ghana is seeing an increase in online crimes against children, including blackmail and the sharing of indecent images. Other countries are responding with legislation to protect children online- but where does Ghana stand?
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