Sam George, the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, has revealed that the Ministry is working on a proposal that would require photo ID verification before accessing porn websites.
According to Sam George, the proposal is intended to prevent children from being exposed to explicit online content.
He disclosed that the policy is currently being prepared for Cabinet consideration.
Sam George added that the policy will require users to provide either a driver’s licence or a national identification card before gaining access to adult or porn websites.
He disclosed that the United Kingdom’s age-verification regime for adult websites as a model Ghana could adopt to strengthen child protection measures.
Speaking at the 4th Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Values and Sovereignty, Sam George stated, “We’re working on going to Cabinet on that to make sure that before you access any X-rated site, you must put either your driver’s licence or your national ID card so that we know who you are and who is going to that site to prevent children from being exposed to such content”.
“Today in the United Kingdom, for you to access a pornographic website, you need to put your driver’s licence for them to be able to determine that you are 18 years”, he stated.
“This is the real threat. Because when a child is oversexualised at an early age, it affects their development, it affects their thinking, it affects even their morality and their values and their standards,” he said.
“When my colleagues and I in Ghana introduced the Family Values Bill, one of our key arguments has been that we’re fighting for the innocence of Ghanaian children because our children must be protected,” he said.
Some Ghanaians reacting to the development stated, “This Ghana Card porn ID check is a terrible idea.
It won’t protect children, teens will just use VPNs, proxies or parents’ IDs. But it WILL create a permanent government-linked record of adults’ private browsing habits. Data breaches, blackmail, and surveillance risks are real.
This is not child protection. It’s surveillance disguised as morality.
Better options: parental controls, digital literacy, and enforcing real laws against exploitation, not turning the entire internet into a national ID checkpoint.
Ghana deserves privacy, not overreach. Reject this”.
A netizen added, “Mr Barry Nartey, this is what you’ve set your mind to? How does this help the economy or promote the growth we need data and communication charges reduced and not this”.
“@samgeorgeghThis is a terrible idea. Requiring photo ID to access websites creates privacy risks, security risks, and government overreach while being incredibly easy to bypass with a VPN. The people who want access will still get it, while ordinary citizens lose privacy” onw X user added.
A netizen added, “Ningo Prampram Dzata dey worry o 😂😂
Network related issues saf we no solve finish see what you dey want carry come”.
“This is simple, network providers are the ones to implement this, block access, anyone who wants to watch or access p*rn, either uses a VPN or can’t access. Na photo verification deɛ adɛn”, onw X user added.
See the post below:
Communications Ministry working on proposal that would require photo ID verification to access pornography websites — Sam George reveals
— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) June 4, 2026
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