Government to introduce ID verification for access to porn sites — Sam George

The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has announced that government is considering a policy that will require identity verification before users can access pornographic websites.

He said the proposed measure is aimed at protecting children from exposure to explicit online content and strengthening safeguards in the digital space.

The announcement was made during the 4th Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Values and Sovereignty in Accra on Thursday, June 4, where he called for stricter controls on harmful online material.

“With pornography, it’s important that we understand the danger that we face… in the United Kingdom, for you to access a pornographic website, you need to put your driver’s licence to determine that you are 18 years,” he said.

He explained that Ghana is studying similar systems being used in other jurisdictions and intends to adopt a verification framework using national identification systems.

“In Ghana here, we’re working with Cabinet to make sure that before you access any rated site, you must put either your driver’s licence or your national ID card,” he said.

The Ningo Prampram MP argued that early exposure to sexual content poses long-term risks to children’s behaviour, values and social development.

He further linked the proposal to broader efforts under Ghana’s family values agenda, stating that children must be protected from harmful cultural influences.

“The fight against Africa is not against those of us sitting in this room. The fight is against our children,” he stated.

He added that African societies must take deliberate steps to preserve cultural and moral values by strengthening protections for younger generations in the digital age.