The Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Dr Joseph Whittal, has called for urgent and coordinated action to safeguard children’s rights in the rapidly expanding digital environment.
Such stronger protection systems would draw national attention to the rising risks children face in cyberspace, adding “child rights online are everyday essentials”.
Dr Whittal was speaking at an event to commemorate this year’s International Human Rights Day, held in Accra, on the theme: “Human rights are everyday essentials: Child rights in the digital and cyberspace in Ghana.”
Situation
The commissioner stated that children were now just as likely to browse the Internet as they were to play outdoors, with many using smartphones and digital platforms without supervision.
He said that although technology had created countless opportunities for academic growth, creativity and social interaction, it had also exposed children to cyberbullying, grooming, sexual exploitation, harmful content, identity theft, radicalisation and addiction to digital devices.
He said that CHRAJ continued to receive reports of children being misled through online recruitment schemes, fraudulent interactions and manipulative digital behaviour that threatened their welfare.
Dr Whittal said children’s rights guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child remained enforceable across all digital platforms.
He added that rights such as privacy, protection from harm, access to information, participation and education must be upheld whether children were offline or online.
The commissioner further urged government institutions, schools, families and technology developers to incorporate child-friendly principles into digital governance frameworks, school rules, household monitoring practices and platform designs.
Rights in digital spaces
A Senior Investigator at CHRAJ, Vida Akundikiya, outlined the basic principles of human rights and their application in digital environments.
She said children had the right to privacy, expression, participation, access to information and protection from violence, both offline and online.
Ms Akundikiya highlighted Ghana’s obligations under the CRC and the relevance of General Comment 25, which guides countries on protecting children’s rights in digital settings.
She advised children to verify information before sharing, act responsibly online, and report incidents of abuse to the Cybersecurity Authority’s 292 helpline.
Cybercrime risks
An officer at the CID Headquarters, Terence Addey Adams, explained that every online action contributed to a digital footprint that could affect future opportunities such as education, scholarships and employment.
He said children faced dangers, including impersonation, account takeovers, exposure to harmful content and manipulation through social engineering.
Mr Adams cited a case where a child was groomed online, lured to the Volta Region, sexually assaulted, recorded nude and later blackmailed.
The perpetrator, he said, was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
The officer advised children to use strong passwords, avoid sharing details such as school uniforms or personal data and seek immediate help when threatened online.
