''TIKTOK'' MUST GO – Sam George Sparks Debate Over App’s Influence in Ghana

 The Minister of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has slammed the growing volume of sexually explicit content on TikTok, calling it "completely unacceptable" and "against Ghanaian culture and norms."

Speaking at a ministerial briefing in Accra today (July 3, 2025) to update the public on key developments in the digital sector during the second quarter of 2025, Mr George revealed that on June 26, the government formally engaged TikTok's West African government relations team to address several critical concerns about content regulation and user safety on the platform.

"I am really concerned about some of the TikTok stuff. Live sex and obscene content on TikTok are totally undesirable and violate our culture and norms. These were some of the discussions I had with TikTok's staff to ensure content monitoring in-country," he explained.

During the interaction, the Ningo-Prampram Member of Parliament revealed that the government had requested TikTok to undertake in-country content monitoring. This ensures that content on the platform is monitored and managed by locally trained professionals that are familiar with Ghana's values and culture.

He also advocated the creation of a local content governance system that is consistent with national regulatory standards, with the purpose of protecting the rights of users, particularly minors.

Mr George stated that the Cybersecurity Authority had been entrusted with collaborating with TikTok to continuously monitor the platform and identify accounts that were publishing obscene or culturally incorrect information. He further stated that such accounts would be deleted and their owners permanently blacklisted.

Aside from content management, the minister praised TikTok's recent addition of a STEM-focused content stream and urged its collaboration with Ghana's One Million Coders project, a national program aimed at teaching a million young people in digital skills.

He also encouraged the company to provide appropriate compensation to Ghanaian content creators, who he believes contribute considerably to TikTok's worldwide appeal and growth.