Committee set up to protect children from Internet harm

The Ministry of Communication has inaugurated a 26-member committee to address concerns of child abuse, child pornography, and other dangers posed by the Internet to children.

Speaking to Class News, chairman of the committee, Nene Nagai Kassa VIII, said one of the mandates of the committee is to work on policies that will maximise protection against online risks faced by children without restricting the opportunities and benefits of the Internet.

“We must look at every aspect of the Internet and how we can keep the children educated and protected. … When it comes to films on the Internet, we need to find out whether the websites are properly acquired and you can lock it up so that children do not find any wrong videos on them,” he stated.

Meanwhile, a former vice chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, Professor Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, has urged the youth in the country to use technology profitably.

“Ghanaian youth are very much into technology now, but what bothers me is that they are not using it for what I will call things that are productive. Most of them use the smartphone for just talking and SMS, but you can use the smartphone to access the Internet to learn everything that you want to learn on this earth. In fact, these days, you don’t have to go to the university to go to the university. Everything you need to know for every programme is on the Internet. I think the youth must use their smartphones for more than just listening to music, SMS, and a lot of talking, but they can use it to learn a lot and I think it is going to change. If you teach them that this smartphone in your hand is a learning device, it’s an access to resources all over the world free of charge, I think they will change, I think things will transform in this country,” he noted.