Bright Appiah
Child Rights International (CRI) has endorsed a government proposal to introduce mandatory age and identity verification for users seeking access to pornographic websites, describing the measure as a necessary step to protect children from harmful online content.
The organisation said unrestricted access to pornography has become one of the fastest-growing threats facing children in the digital space, exposing many young people to explicit sexual material at increasingly younger ages.
In a statement, the Executive Director of CRI, Bright Appiah, said pornographic content remained easily accessible to children, often without meaningful restrictions or supervision.
“Pornographic content is only a click away from Ghana’s children. Child Rights International welcomes the government’s proposal because we believe stronger safeguards are urgently needed to protect children from harmful sexual content online,” he said.
Mr. Appiah noted that while advances in technology, artificial intelligence and the internet have created unprecedented opportunities for learning and innovation, they have also increased children’s exposure to content that can negatively influence their understanding of sexuality, relationships and social behaviour.
According to him, exposure to pornography at an early age can distort children’s perceptions of consent, intimacy and healthy human relationships while normalising behaviours they may not be emotionally mature enough to understand.
He stressed that safeguarding children online must go beyond restricting access to adult websites and should include strengthening the country’s identification systems.
Mr. Appiah urged the government to ensure that every child is registered at birth and linked to a reliable national identification system capable of supporting age-verification mechanisms online.
“For us to be successful and protect children, children must be registered at birth and issued identification documents. Without proper identification systems, it becomes difficult to effectively protect children in digital spaces,” he stated.
He added that the nation’s efforts to build a productive and responsible generation must include deliberate measures to shield children from harmful online content.
Mr. Appiah also called for policies that would direct children towards educational, developmental and skills-based content instead of exposing them to material that could undermine their growth and wellbeing.
“The State must be deliberate about building online mechanisms that make information available to children relevant to their development, capacity building and future opportunities,” he said.
The child rights advocate pointed to experiences in countries such as the United Kingdom, China and the United States, where stricter controls on children’s access to harmful online content have reportedly reduced exposure levels significantly.
He said the experiences of those countries demonstrate that targeted policy interventions can help create safer online environments for children.
Beyond dedicated adult websites, CRI expressed concern about the growing circulation of sexually explicit material on social media and messaging platforms, including Telegram and Snapchat.
Mr. Appiah noted that explicit content shared through such platforms often remains accessible to children and teenagers despite existing age restrictions.
He, therefore, called for any comprehensive child online protection policy to address not only adult websites but also the channels through which explicit material is distributed.
The organisation further warned that the issue extends beyond pornography itself and raises broader concerns about children’s wellbeing, social development and preparedness for adulthood.
CRI has pledged to work with the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations on public education campaigns, advocacy initiatives and policy interventions aimed at strengthening online child protection.
The endorsement comes after the Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, announced that cabinet is working on a policy that would require users to verify their age and identity before accessing adult websites.
Speaking at the 4th African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty and Values, the minister said the proposed policy is intended to prevent children from being exposed to harmful sexual content online.
Under the proposal, individuals seeking access to adult websites may be required to provide identification documents such as a driver’s licence or national identification card to prove they are of legal age.
Mr. George argued that governments have a responsibility to protect children from content that could undermine their development, values and wellbeing.
A Daily Guide Report