Accra: Stakeholders at the 2025 Ghana Internet Governance Forum (Ghana 2025 IGF) have called for education and awareness creation on the dangers of disinformation and misinformation as well as proper application of the laws to curb the menace. They emphasized that Ghana does not require new laws or selective enforcement, which seems to be happening, in combating mal-information, misinformation, and disinformation. Instead, a multifaceted approach where the laws are justly applied to everyone is necessary.
According to Ghana News Agency, speaking during a panel discussion on the topic: ‘Addressing Disinformation and Misinformation while Upholding Human Rights in Ghana,’ Madam Vivian Affoah, Programme Manager, Digital Rights Programme, Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), stressed that enforcement should not be selective or vary based on the individuals involved. She highlighted that the state does not need new laws, as some have suggested, but rather proper application and enforcement of existing laws such as the Cybersecurity Act 2020 (Act 1038), Data Protection Act 2012 (Act 843), and Electronic Communications Act 2008 (Act 775) to regulate the internet and social media spaces.
Madam Affoah further noted the importance of increasing digital and media literacy among all stakeholders, including the state, to a level where individuals can easily identify fake news and AI-generated photos. The society thrives on disinformation, which is on the rise; therefore, efforts to improve media and digital literacy are crucial.
Madam Bridget Andere, Senior Policy Analyst at Access Now, a digital security firm, explained that disinformation and misinformation have evolved from small gossips and rumors into a rapidly destructive force thanks to the internet. She advocated for a multifaceted approach to combat the issue, involving the creation of platforms to engage citizens, educate them, and raise awareness about the dangers such information poses to both the state and individuals.
Mr. Garvin Emmanuel Appiah, Chief Executive Officer of DoubleOSEC, a tech company, called on tech and digital companies to verify and validate information before dissemination. He acknowledged that while enacting laws is not the sole solution, there is a need for amendments to the Cybersecurity Act 2020 (Act 1038) as the current provisions do not offer clear solutions to disinformation and misinformation.
The stakeholders pointed out that the current provisions only address mal-information and do not adequately cover AI-generated photos and related materials. They clarified the distinctions, stating that disinformation involves deliberate false statements, while misinformation occurs unknowingly, causing harm or spreading false information. Mal-information, as explained, is based on fact but removed from its original context to mislead, harm, or manipulate.