Ambrose Dery
THE INTERIOR Ministry has dismissed reports suggesting that it intends to enforce a new communication regulation aimed at tapping calls and spying on social media activities of persons living in Ghana.
There were reports making the rounds on social media which indicated that the ministry was in the process of enforcing a new regulation which will sanction widespread surveillance of the citizens’ calls and activities on the internet.
But reacting to the reports in a statement issued on Monday in Accra, the ministry vehemently rejected the claim.
“The Ministry of Interior’s attention has been drawn to a news item making the rounds on social media which is alleging that the ministry will be enforcing a new Communications Regulation which will entail surveillance of calls and social media platforms by the Ministry of Interior,” the statement, signed by the Chief Director of the Ministry, Adelaide Anno-Kumi, indicated.
“The ministry wishes to emphatically state that there is no such new communication regulation and thus, calls on the general public to disregard the news item.
”The ministry wishes to assure the general public that no one’s communication device, be it mobile hand device, personal computer, etc. is connected to any system at the Ministry of the Interior,” claimed the statement.
It added that in as much as the safety, peace and security of citizens are “our primary concern, we will not do anything tantamount to the invasion of the privacy of citizenry and affront on the respect of the fundamental human rights of the citizenry.”
BY Melvin Tarlue