Ghanaians urged to use RTI law to ask government to disclose information on spyware

Ghanaian authorities have reportedly acquired various spyware costing $184 million. This information comes from researchers, cyber experts, and journalists. However, the government has not commented on this issue.

A report by Ghana Business News in May 2024 revealed that Ghana obtained five types of spyware from foreign companies. Evidence suggests these technologies are being used to spy on citizens. The spyware was sourced from four Israeli firms: NSO Group, Cellebrite, QuaDream, and Mer Group.

Other suppliers include Decision Group from Taiwan, Tactical Devices from Switzerland, and Intellexa from Greece. Additionally, Ghana has acquired CCTV components for a smart city project powered by Huawei in China.

Tony Roberts, editor of a report titled "Mapping the Supply of Surveillance Technologies to Africa: Ghana Country Report," confirmed that Ghana procured five kinds of surveillance technologies. Despite this, no government has publicly acknowledged which spyware it possesses or its intended use.

Ghanaians are encouraged to utilize the Right to Information (RTI) law to learn about government acquisitions over time. Prof Stephen Kwaku Asare emphasized that democracy cannot thrive under secret surveillance without accountability.

He stated that while laws may allow monitoring citizens' communications under strict conditions, transparency is essential. Citizens can pursue RTI requests regarding any spyware acquisitions by the government.

Dr Gifty Appiah-Adjei leads the Journalism and Media Studies Department at the University of Education in Winneba. She studies spyware in Ghana and noted that secrecy around procurement makes it hard for citizens to demand accountability.

She mentioned that while her research does not generalize findings across all cases, there is evidence of rights-violating digital surveillance targeting dissenting voices. Dr Appiah-Adjei criticized existing laws on surveillance as poorly defined and favoring state agencies over citizens.

A 2023 report by the UK-based Institute of Development Studies (IDS) indicated Ghana spent $184 million on contracts with overseas companies for surveillance technology. The report analyzed open-source data and highlighted Article 18 of Ghana’s constitution protecting citizens’ privacy rights.

Dr Appiah-Adjei argued for balanced evidence regarding state security officials' use of spyware. She questioned whether they would be willing to share information with researchers or civil society organizations even if RTI requests were made.

Prof Asare reiterated that democracy requires transparency regarding tools like Pegasus used for surveillance. He stressed these tools must be subject to legal oversight rather than hidden under claims of national security.

By Emmanuel K Dogbevi
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