Social media shut down impossible – MP

The Minority Spokesperson on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Joe Osei Wusu says  it will be impossible for the Police to carry out a shutdown of social media under the laws of the land.

He argues that the laws of the country give no such right to the Police service no matter the justification they may have for it.

The Inspector General of Police John Kudalor told Journalists on Thursday that it may ban social media on Election Day due to the potential threat it poses to peace and security in the country.

But speaking to Citi News, the Bekwai Member of Parliament believes that the proposed social media ban has no basis in law.

“The court will be the appropriate place to go to but whether any court will grant them that, I have my doubt; they are not entitled to do that. In any case under what law will they go? Is it under the security and intelligence Act or what?”

“So let's say they are saying that there is a security threat, [hence] they must shut it down, on which law does that the security threat give them the power to apply to the court to do ABCD?”

He argued that the Police are empowered by the Public Order Act to apply and stop certain events but there is no such law in the case of social media.

“For instance, the Public Order Act, they have the power to apply to stop a public event, that is a specific law. So in this case, I would like to know under which law they will apply to curtail internet service and social media.”

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin