Implement child online protection policy - Activists demand ahead of Internet Safety Day

Ghana’s growing internet access is a catalyst for digital revolution and sustainable development but also portends cyber insecurity for children who are exposed to various forms of threats online.

It has, therefore, become important to take bold steps to protect children against increasing risks in cyberspace such as online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA), sextortion, exposure to harmful content and digital addiction.

Some child rights activists, who made this observation, are of the view that safeguarding the safety of children online required the collective effort of all stakeholders, to implement the country’s Child Online Protection (COP) framework.

Those who made the call are the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of the Ghana Internet Safety Foundation (GISF), a non-profit organisation, Emmanuel Adinkra; and an international development consultant, Emmanuel Kwame Mensah.

In separate interviews with the Daily Graphic ahead of this year’s Safe Internet Day (SID-2025) today, the activists stressed that the full implementation of the COP would be a significant step towards creating a structured and sustainable approach to safeguarding children online.

They said since the framework had been aligned with global best practices, it would provide clear guidelines for child right advocates, law enforcement agencies and civil society organisations (CSOs) to work in a coordinated manner to implement interventions that would protect children in cyberspace.

The activists also stressed the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration, focusing on fostering stronger public-private partnerships with telecom companies, financial institutions, and global tech companies to help combat online child exploitation.

Additionally, they stressed the need for capacity-building for law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges on how to handle digital forensics, cybercrime investigations and child online abuse cases.

Context

A study, titled “The Internet We Want in Ghana: A Narrative on Current Realities,” revealed that as of the first quarter of 2024, Ghana had an estimated 24.06 million internet users, translating to a penetration rate of 69.8 per cent of the population (Statista, 2024).

This digital transformation, spurred by the government’s initiatives such as the National Fibre Optic Backbone Infrastructure and the Digital Ghana Agenda, has improved internet access throughout the country.

Although this is a major boost to children and young people who increasingly rely on the Internet for education, connection and entertainment, the growth in internet access brings significant risks such as cyberbullying, sextortion and exposure to online Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).

A research by the Ghana Internet Safety Foundation (GISF) revealed that over 70 per cent of students surveyed have encountered harmful content online, yet most of them lack guidance on how to navigate such experiences.

The study also established that only 30 per cent of parents and educators actively teach online safety, reflecting gaps in digital literacy.

The research also found that 80 per cent of students want better education on online risks and reporting harmful behaviour.

Additionally, the Disrupting Harm Project (2023) revealed that one in three children in Ghana has been exposed to sexually explicit material online but is underreported due to stigma and inadequate reporting mechanisms.

It was in a bid to address the risks facing children in the cyberspace that the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) and other stakeholders launched the National Child Online Protection Framework in October, last year.

Urgent action

Mr Adinkra underscored the need for a holistic child online protection strategy that focused on prevention, response, capacity-building and victim support to ensure children’s digital rights and well-being were protected while enabling them to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly.

He called for the establishment of specialised judicial units to handle child-related cybercrime cases and increase prosecution rates for OCSEA and sextortion cases.

“The various stakeholders need to advocate for social media platforms, gaming companies, and technology firms to implement stricter safety controls, parental monitoring features, and AI-driven content moderation,” Mr Adinkra added.

Relatedly, he said more social workers, psychologists and community leaders must be trained to provide trauma-informed care and counselling for victims.

Parent-School collaboration

Mr Mensah said parents and school authorities needed to work closely to monitor the content they consumed online to guarantee their safety.

“If parents care to buy ICT gadgets for their children, they should care more about how they engage online. Schools must also have online policies to guide access and usage of the Internet by children,” he said.

Mr Mensah, who is the ILO National Programme Coordinator for the 8.7 Accelerator Lab Programme, also stressed the importance for schools to design programmes that would be interesting, especially robotics and debates, to take children’s time online and stay away from being bullied.

Response

The acting Deputy Director-General of the CSA, Stephen Cudjoe-Seshie, said following the launch of the policy last October, the authority had started implementing some elements in the document pending the availability of funds for a full-scale rollout.

For instance, he said the CSA was working on the awareness creation and education component of the policy in collaboration with stakeholders such as the Ghana Education Service (GES), the judiciary and some media organisations.

He said the collaboration between the GES and the CSA had led to the drafting of the digital literacy policy for children online.

"The draft policy is currently on the desk of the Education Ministry and it is my hope that the new minister will take a look at it and ensure that it is incorporated into the curriculum for children to learn at the basic level," he said. 

SID-2025

As part of activities to mark the SID-2025, Mr Cudjoe-Seshie said the CSA had also started the National Cybersecurity Challenge, a quiz competition on COP issues from the district, through the regional to the finals at the national level.

"To all stakeholders, the message is that let us work together to educate our children bearing in mind that much as the digital space is critical for development, it is also a platform for cyberbullying and other crimes against our young ones," he said.

SID 2025 in Ghana

SID 2025 will be celebrated in Ghana today on the theme: "Together for a Better Internet.”

The SID aims to address the challenges young people face in the cyberspace by fostering collaboration among parents, educators, the government and civil society.