Shatta Wale appeals to Mahama for balanced framework on social media abuse

Dancehall artiste Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr, popularly known as Shatta Wale, has appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to support a balanced framework for addressing defamation, harassment and abuse on social media without undermining freedom of expression.

In an open letter dated Monday, September 28, Shatta Wale said recent discussions about regulating TikTok and other digital platforms had created an opportunity for Ghana to develop clear rules that protect citizens while addressing harmful online conduct.

His letter follows President Mahama’s recent call for a national stakeholder discussion on how Ghana should regulate TikTok and other new media platforms.

Speaking at a town hall meeting with Ghanaians in New York on September 25, the President said the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) should bring stakeholders together to determine how the country should approach issues including misinformation, online insults and the involvement of the police.

Shatta Wale said as a creative who had spent years being subjected to what he described as unverified allegations and public ridicule, he believed the problem of harmful commentary predated social media and had been amplified by digital platforms.

He acknowledged the need to address abuse online but said freedom of speech and of the media, guaranteed under Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, must remain protected.

“Freedom of speech and of the media, guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution, must remain protected,” he said.

“However, it should not be mistaken for a licence to threaten, harass or knowingly spread damaging falsehoods.”

Seven proposals

Shatta Wale proposed seven measures for consideration by the President and other stakeholders.

He called on Parliament, the Judiciary, security agencies, media institutions and civil society organisations to develop a clearly defined legal framework for serious and proven online misconduct, with due process and independent judicial oversight.

He also proposed that any framework should expressly protect legitimate criticism, journalism, satire and political expression.

“No citizen should be punished for criticising a President, public official or public figure,” he said.

On online anonymity, Shatta Wale proposed that platforms operating in Ghana strengthen account verification, building on Ghana’s existing Ghana Card-SIM registration system.

However, he said platforms should cooperate with lawful, court-ordered requests to identify accounts linked to proven harassment or defamation without making the surrender of anonymity a general condition for speaking online.

He further called for proportionate penalties where Parliament determines that specific online conduct should constitute a criminal offence, including consideration of short custodial sentences of no more than one month, with an emphasis on deterrence and correction.

Shatta Wale also urged the government to ensure that any new measure does not reintroduce criminal libel in another form.

Ghana repealed criminal libel provisions in 2001, and the issue has remained an important part of discussions around freedom of expression and media regulation.

He additionally called for public education on responsible online conduct to accompany any legal reforms and urged the government to consult the creative industry early in the process.

‘Goal is not to silence citizens’

Shatta Wale said his proposals were intended to contribute to a national conversation on how Ghana could address harmful online conduct while preserving freedom of expression.

“The goal is not to silence citizens, but to restore responsibility to our public conversation while preserving the freedoms on which our democracy stands,” he said.

President Mahama has similarly said the issue requires collective decision-making rather than a unilateral government approach. He has questioned how far police intervention should extend in cases involving online content and said recommendations from a stakeholder forum would guide government action.

Shatta Wale addressed his letter to President Mahama and copied the Speaker of Parliament, the Chief Justice, the Minister for the Interior, the Inspector-General of Police and the National Media Commission.