Gov’t Considering Mandatory ID Verification For Porn Sites Access – Sam George

The government is considering introducing mandatory identity verification for people seeking to access pornographic websites in Ghana as part of efforts to prevent children from being exposed to adult content online.

Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, disclosed this during his address at the African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty and Values.

According to him, individuals would be required to provide a form of government-issued identification, such as a driver’s licence or national identification card, before being granted access to X-rated websites.

“We’re working on going to Cabinet on that,” Sam George said, explaining that the proposed system is intended to ensure that minors are prevented from accessing pornographic content online.

The minister pointed to developments in the United Kingdom, where age-verification measures are being introduced for access to online adult content, as an example of efforts by governments to shield children from harmful material on the internet.

Mr. George argued that unrestricted exposure to pornography at an early age could negatively affect children’s development, values and decision-making, making stronger safeguards necessary.

The proposal forms part of a broader push by the government to regulate children’s access to online content.

Reports indicate that the Cyber Security Authority has been tasked with developing a framework to guide policies aimed at restricting minors’ access to adult websites and other potentially harmful digital content.

Age-verification requirements for adult websites have become a growing global trend.

Several jurisdictions, including parts of the United States, the United Kingdom and countries in Europe, have introduced or are implementing measures requiring users to prove they are above the legal age before accessing pornographic material.

In the United States, the Supreme Court in 2025 upheld a Texas law requiring age verification for access to pornography websites, ruling that the measure served the state’s interest in protecting minors from sexually explicit content.

The proposed Ghanaian policy has not yet been submitted to Cabinet, and details regarding how the verification process would operate, what safeguards would be put in place to protect users’ data, and when the policy could take effect have not been announced.