Samuel Nartey George, Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations
The Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has signaled to actors in the media space that a bill will soon be sent to Parliament for debate and approval to check misinformation and disinformation.
He, however, clarified that this bill will not cover criticisms of the government.
Speaking in an interview with TV3 on April 11, he warned against deliberate peddling of falsehood and misinformation on multiple forms of media.
“Irrespective of your political colour, if you engage in peddling of fake news, the law will deal with you,” he said.
Sam George first made the proclamation about the legislation to combat misinformation and disinformation during parliamentary proceedings on February 5.
The Ningo-Prampram MP emphasised the urgent need for a legal framework to address the growing threat of false information, both in Parliament and across the country.
“The ministry will be coming again to deal with the issues of misinformation and disinformation with legislation to this House. And I will urge Members of Parliament to support it,” he stated.
He cited the case of Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who was invited by the Appointments Committee of Parliament over an alleged doctored social media post.
He mentioned instances where altered images of him were presented on the floor of Parliament to stress the dangers of manipulated digital content.
“Even in this chamber yesterday, there was misinformation. In fact, in the past one week, this House has carried out business on two occasions on the back of misinformation,” he noted.
The minister re-echoed the government’s commitment to cracking down on individuals who deliberately spread false information, stating that such acts should attract legal consequences.
“It’s important that we take misinformation and disinformation seriously and deal with it once and for all, and crack the whip and make sure that persons who are actively engaged in this face the full rigours of the law,” he said.
VPO/AE
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