No national ID, no porn: Sam George proposes age verification for adult websites
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has proposed a policy that would require individuals to present a National Identity Card or driver's licence before accessing pornographic websites, as part of efforts to prevent minors from viewing sexually explicit content online.
Speaking at the Fourth Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Values and Sovereignty, the minister said the government is considering the policy as part of broader initiatives aimed at safeguarding minors from harmful digital content and promoting responsible internet use.
He cited the United Kingdom's age-verification regime for adult websites as a model Ghana could adopt to strengthen child protection measures.
"It is important that we understand the danger that we face with pornography. We don't need to rewrite the script. Today, in the United Kingdom, for you to access a pornographic website, you need to provide your driver's licence so they can determine that you are 18 years old," he said.
The minister argued that such measures have become necessary because of concerns about the impact of pornography and the over-sexualisation of young people.
Cabinet consideration
Sam George revealed that the proposal is expected to be presented to Cabinet for consideration.
"We are working towards taking this to Cabinet to ensure that before anyone accesses an X-rated site, they must provide either a driver's licence or a national ID card. This will help us identify who is accessing such sites and prevent children from being exposed to that content," he stated.
He warned that exposure to sexually explicit material at an early age could negatively affect children's development, values and decision-making.
Fighting for the innocence of Ghanaian children
The minister argued that the fight against Africa is not against adults but against the continent's children.
"The fight against Africa is not against those of us sitting in this room. We were a lost case. The fight is against our children," he said.
He explained that when he and his colleagues introduced the Family Values Bill, one of their key arguments was that they were fighting for the innocence of Ghanaian children.
"Our children must be protected and safe. We were protected by our parents in an African family setting. We must do the same for our children and grandchildren," he added.
According to the minister, protecting children from inappropriate online content should remain a priority as digital access continues to expand across the country.
The proposal, if approved by Cabinet, would make Ghana one of the few African nations to implement mandatory age verification for adult content websites. The policy would require internet users to submit identification documents to verify they are at least 18 years old before gaining access to X-rated sites.
The minister did not provide a timeline for when the proposal would be presented to Cabinet or when implementation could begin.
