On September 25, President John Dramani Mahama addressed a townhall meeting with the Ghanaian community in New York, where he emphasized the need for collective decision-making on regulating TikTok and other new media platforms. He noted that the issue of regulating TikTok is a global concern, affecting not only Ghana but also other countries worldwide. President Mahama highlighted the importance of information integrity in today's digital age.
The President expressed his concerns about the increasing trend of misinformation, disinformation, and insults on social media platforms, including TikTok. He mentioned that unlike traditional media, where journalists put their reputation behind stories, TikTok allows anyone to post content without accountability. This has led to a surge in vile content, with some individuals hiding behind anonymous accounts to publish insults and other forms of harmful content.
President Mahama stated that as a leader, he does not mind being insulted, citing his experience of being vilified and voted out of office. However, he emphasized that Ghanaians must collectively decide how to regulate TikTok and the broader new media landscape. He suggested that the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) should organize a stakeholder forum to discuss the issue and provide recommendations for guidelines on handling such matters.
The President noted that many recent arrests related to insults and misinformation had come to his attention through the media, and sometimes, persons were arrested allegedly for insulting him. He expressed worry about the potential consequences of such arrests, emphasizing that they may be counterproductive and undermine public confidence in the government's efforts to regulate new media.
President Mahama highlighted the need for a coherent national roadmap that protects freedom of expression while providing an appropriate and proportionate response to genuinely harmful digital content. He requested that the MFWA and GJA lead a broad, stakeholder-inclusive process to examine the adequacy of the existing legal, regulatory, and institutional framework.
The stakeholder forum will bring together various stakeholders, including the National Media Commission, the Ghana Police Service, relevant religious bodies, civil society organizations, traditional media organizations, social media content creators, bloggers, and influencers, among others. The engagement aims to clarify the distinction between lawful criticism and unlawful speech, propose practical guidelines for law-enforcement agencies, and recommend appropriate policy and legislative measures.
President Mahama emphasized that the government will be guided by the collective decision of stakeholders on whether and how the police should be involved in regulating new media. He noted that police action could sometimes go to the extreme, and once arrests begin, it becomes difficult to know where to stop. The President concluded that Ghanaians must work together to find a solution that balances free expression with the need to regulate harmful content.
Key points
- President Mahama has called for a stakeholder forum to discuss regulating TikTok and the broader new media landscape in Ghana.
- The forum aims to provide recommendations for guidelines on handling matters related to misinformation, disinformation, and insults on social media platforms.
- The President emphasized the need for a collective decision on regulating new media, highlighting the importance of balancing free expression with the need to regulate harmful content.
