Legitimate criticism, political commentary must not be criminalised – President Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has warned against criminalizing legitimate criticism, political commentary, satire, and dissent on social media in an effort to combat harmful content. He emphasized that while hate speech, threats, and unlawful conduct should be addressed, freedom of expression must not be undermined. In a letter to the Media Foundation for West Africa and the Ghana Journalists Association, Mahama called for a national stakeholder engagement involving various groups to tackle the issue of hate speech, abusive language, and harmful content on emerging digital platforms.

Mahama noted that the media environment has evolved, with bloggers, content creators, influencers, and platform users shaping public discourse significantly. While these actors possess substantial audiences and influence, they may not adhere to established editorial standards or accountability mechanisms. He expressed concern that disproportionate arrests over mere criticism could be counterproductive, create undeserved martyrs, and damage public trust in state institutions.

The President tasked the MFWA and GJA with leading the stakeholder process, which should evaluate the adequacy of Ghana's legal and regulatory framework and establish a clear distinction between lawful criticism and unlawful speech. The engagement aims to propose practical guidelines for law enforcement agencies and recommend policy, legislative, and non-legislative measures to address harmful online content.

Mahama also emphasized the importance of public education, media and digital literacy, professional standards for online content creators, accessible complaints mechanisms, and alternatives to arrests and prosecutions for non-criminal content.