Can Ghana protect children from online pornography?

A couple of weeks ago, the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George stirred yet another national debate when he hinted at plans to introduce a law that would require adults to log in with their Ghana Card before accessing pornographic websites.

Well, that announcement alone nearly caused some adults to forget their mobile money PINs.

The proposal triggered heated discussions across radio stations, social media platforms and drinking spots. Predictably, many opposed the idea. Some described it as intrusive. Others argued that government had no business entering people’s “private viewing rooms.”

But honestly, I have struggled to understand the outrage.

Why exactly are we behaving as if the state is proposing to station police officers behind our curtains?

The proposal, from what has been explained so far, is not about preventing adults from watching pornography. It is simply about verifying age and restricting access for minors.

In simple terms, if you are old enough and still determined to spend your midnight hours watching acrobatics that even Olympic judges may struggle to score, then all government is saying is: “Please identify yourself first.” That is all.

Some critics are acting as though the Ministry intends to create a “National Pornography Watchers Register” where officials will sit daily monitoring who watched what and at what time.

Please. Government already has enough headaches; floods among others. Nobody at the Ministry has the luxury of sitting behind a giant screen announcing: “Kwame from Adabraka has logged in again ooo!”

Revenue source?

In fact, if government truly wants to make money from the situation, perhaps they should simply charge 50 pesewas via mobile money per visit. Given the unimaginable number of viewers globally, Ghana might finally raise more internal funds to accelerate infrastructure development across the country.

But jokes aside, there is a serious side to this debate, one that many people conveniently ignore. And it concerns children.

A neighbour’s daughter

Not long ago, a 14-year-old girl in a neighbourhood I know pressured her parents to buy her a smartphone. Her argument sounded perfectly reasonable.

According to her, teachers at school frequently asked students to research assignments online and submit responses digitally. Initially, the parents resisted. But after weeks of persistence, emotional blackmail and probably a few expertly executed teenage tantrums, they finally gave in.

And not just any phone. An iPhone 14 Pro Max. The kind of phone that can make even adults abandon their old devices and suddenly begin pricing kidneys on the black market.

Let us call the girl “Pretty.” One Saturday morning, Pretty’s mother noticed something unusual. By 7 am, the girl had still not stepped out to perform her usual household chores.

Her mother knocked. “Pretty!” No response. Again. “Pretty!” Silence. Now irritated, the woman pushed open the bedroom door, and what she saw froze her on the spot.

Pretty lay sprawled across the bed deep in sleep, phone by her side, completely exhausted.

Curious and suspicious, the mother picked up the phone. The screen told the story.

Pornography! Hours and hours of it. But that was not even the real shock. As the mother attempted to remove the pillow covering part of Pretty’s body, something dropped onto the floor. A black dildo. Not a tiny object hidden in embarrassment.

This one landed with confidence. The mother screamed so loudly that neighbours probably thought armed robbers had invaded the house.

Her husband rushed in, took one look, shook his head slowly like a man reconsidering all his life choices, and quietly walked away in disbelief.

When Pretty was finally awakened and interrogated, the truth became clearer.

She had reportedly started watching pornographic videos from around 11 p.m. and continued until the early hours of the morning. The experience had literally worn her out.

Later that day, her terrified parents took her to a doctor for examination. The medical assessment only deepened their fears. The doctor reportedly explained that the girl had already been exposing herself to activities far beyond what was normal for her age.

That was the painful reality confronting the family.

The bigger danger

Before some readers accuse me of exaggeration, let us be honest with ourselves. Pretty’s story is not isolated.

Many children today are exposed to explicit sexual content long before they emotionally or mentally understand what they are consuming. Smartphones, unrestricted internet access and peer influence have created a dangerous cocktail.

The situation is no longer occasional curiosity. It is becoming a culture. And if some girls are already deeply immersed in such content, one can only imagine what many boys are also consuming silently behind locked doors and lowered brightness screens. The psychological impact is enormous and real and must not be ignored.

Addiction; Distorted views about relationships; Depression; Low self-esteem; Aggressive sexual behaviour.

Mental health experts globally have repeatedly warned about the growing effects of excessive pornography exposure among adolescents.

That is why countries such as the United Kingdom have explored stricter age-verification systems to limit underage access to adult sites. So perhaps, just perhaps, the Minister’s proposal deserves a calmer conversation rather than outright condemnation.

But can it really work?

Now, let us not deceive ourselves. Today’s Generation Z children are frighteningly smart. Some of them can unlock phones faster than intelligence agencies.

They know passwords before parents even finish creating them. So yes, many young people may still find ways around restrictions. Some may secretly photograph their parents’ Ghana Cards or borrow IDs from older siblings and friends.

That possibility exists. But should we refuse to act simply because perfection is impossible? Certainly not.

Even if the policy reduces exposure by 20 or 30 per cent, it is still worth trying.

The way forward

Truth be told, parenting in the digital age has become one of the most difficult assignments on earth.

The internet has opened doors to knowledge, innovation and opportunity. Unfortunately, it has also exposed children to content their young minds are often unprepared to handle.

This is why regulation alone will never be enough, but it is also necessary. Parents must become more involved. Counselling must improve. Schools must intensify guidance programmes.

Religious bodies and communities must also engage young people more intentionally.

And above all, adults must stop pretending the problem does not exist because it does.

For me, the proposed directive may not be perfect, but the intention behind it is noble and deserves support.

If there is even a small chance that it can help protect future generations from deeper moral, emotional and psychological harm, then it is a conversation worth having seriously, not merely laughing away on radio panels before switching to the very websites being criticised.

To answer my question, I will say yes, we can. But the responsibility begins with us, the adults. We must lead the way, no matter how uncomfortable the conversation may be.

For the sake of our children and the generations coming after them, we must be willing to endure the inconvenience today to protect their future tomorrow.