Fighting 21st-century wildfires with 19th-century buckets: The case of Ghana’s mis/disinformation laws 

Recent news from Ghana announced, “Vice President Professor Opoku-Agyemang to seek medical treatment abroad after sudden illness.” This announcement revealed our vulnerability to misinformation and disinformation.

I was shocked when I overheard two women on public transport. One confidently said, “the Vice President has kicked the bucket.” Her tone was certain and clear. I questioned if I had missed something important. I quickly checked credible news sources to debunk this falsehood.

Misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation are terms we should understand. Misinformation is sharing information unintentionally. Disinformation involves spreading false information deliberately to cause harm. Malinformation is based on fact but used out of context to mislead.

These issues are not new globally. However, increased internet access and social media have worsened the problem. Platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram make it easy to spread false content rapidly.

In Ghana, efforts against misinformation include legal initiatives and awareness programs. The GhanaToday website promotes reliable information sharing. Training programs focus on media literacy and fact-checking.

Ghana lacks specific laws targeting misinformation directly. Authorities use existing laws to address those spreading false information instead.

Laws like the Electronic Communications Act (2008) often target individuals accused of spreading lies. Sections 185 and 208 of the Criminal Offenses Act (1960) also apply here, along with the Cybersecurity Act (2020).

However, these laws do not address modern threats like AI-generated deepfakes effectively. They fail to capture current dynamics in media and information ecosystems.

Vague terms in existing laws can lead to arbitrary enforcement that threatens free speech. This became evident during Ghana's December 2020 elections when deepfake content spread widely.

The reality is that today's information disorder differs greatly from past scenarios envisioned by older legislation. Yet Ghana’s legal framework remains outdated.

As Ghana seeks comprehensive legislation against misinformation, we must act now. Stakeholders should enhance citizens' media literacy skills and support fact-checkers robustly.

We need to review outdated laws for today’s digital age as AI-generated deepfakes become more sophisticated. This effort is about more than policing falsehoods; it’s about protecting our democracy.

We face a choice: build resilience against misinformation or risk losing control over public discourse to those who spread lies.