Ghanaian dancehall musician Shatta Wale has proposed a new legal framework to tackle social media abuse in Ghana. In an open letter to President John Dramani Mahama, Shatta Wale called for clear laws to address online harassment, defamation, and abuse, while protecting freedom of expression and legitimate criticism. He proposed collaboration between Parliament, the Judiciary, security agencies, media organisations, and civil society to establish rules for serious online misconduct.
President Mahama had previously called for a national conversation on regulating social media platforms like TikTok. Speaking at a town hall meeting in New York on September 25, he raised concerns about misinformation, insults, and harmful content circulating on social media. The President subsequently called on the Ghana Journalists Association and the Media Foundation for West Africa to bring key stakeholders together to discuss regulating new media.
Shatta Wale's proposal aims to strike a balance between holding people accountable for harmful conduct and protecting constitutional freedoms. As a public figure, he claimed to have faced unverified allegations and public ridicule over the years. He noted that online abuse was no longer limited to entertainers, with traditional leaders, businesspeople, journalists, public officials, and ordinary citizens also exposed to harassment and defamatory content.
The musician proposed that Parliament, the Judiciary, security agencies, media organisations, and civil society groups work together to establish clearly defined rules for dealing with serious and proven cases of online misconduct. He suggested that any new framework should include due process and independent judicial oversight to ensure that legitimate expression is not criminalised.
Shatta Wale also called for explicit protection for legitimate criticism, journalism, satire, and political expression. He maintained that people should not face punishment simply because they criticise the President, public officials, or other public figures. Another proposal concerns identifying individuals behind social media accounts in cases involving proven serious misconduct.
On possible penalties, Shatta Wale suggested that any online conduct Parliament decides to criminalise should attract proportionate sanctions. He proposed that, in appropriate cases, custodial sentences of no more than one month could be considered, arguing that the emphasis should be on deterrence and correction rather than punishment for its own sake.
President Mahama's proposed stakeholder process is expected to involve the Ghana Journalists Association, Media Foundation for West Africa, media organisations, the police, civil society groups, legal and human-rights experts, content creators, and other relevant institutions. Shatta Wale expressed his willingness to contribute to the national discussion on how Ghana can address harmful online conduct while protecting freedom of expression.
Key points
- Shatta Wale proposes a new legal framework to tackle social media abuse in Ghana while protecting freedom of expression.
- The proposed framework aims to strike a balance between holding people accountable for harmful conduct and protecting constitutional freedoms.
- President Mahama's proposed stakeholder process is expected to involve key stakeholders in discussing regulations for social media platforms.
