Ghana to have Cybersecurity law by end of year – Odotei Sowah

Deputy Communications Minister, Vincent Sowah Odotei, has hinted of a possible passage of the National Cybersecurity law by the end of 2020 to sanitize Ghana’s internet space.

“Definitely we expect that this year Ghana will have a cyber-security law, definitely. That’s our expectations,” Mr Sowah Odotei told the media at the Freedom Online Conference press conference in Accra, February 4, 2020.

According to him, the country already has some rules and regulations in place to ensure a safe digital space for all persons but they have gaps which are considered obsolete.

While answering a question on what his ministry uses to fight Cybercrimes in the absence of a Cybersecurity law, he emphasized that the country has an “electronic transactions act which criminalises certain actions and one of the key benefits of the Budapest Convention is to train our prosecutors, police CID…our judges to ensure that we’re able to prosecute such things. “

He added that, “So while we’re waiting for the National Cybersecurity law, they’re certain provisions. We’re not totally bereft of laws, except that they’re gaps which are not really up to date with the vast space of technology. So in the absence of that we’re using sections of the Electronic Communication as the criminal code itself.”

Meanwhile, the national Cybersecurity advisor, Dr Albert Antwi-Boasiako, noted that the National Cybersecurity Centre is working to allay possible infractions in the cyber space ahead of the December polls.

He said his outfit, will in the coming days, join forces with the media to promote awareness about the fake news and electoral misinformation.

Mr Antwi-Boasiako told GhanaWeb in an interview that, “Within the public, what we’re planning is to also promote certain risk awareness as far as electoral interferences are concerned…and we also encourage the media to better engage with us to promote some of these issues…”