Shatta Wale appeals to Mahama for balanced framework to tackle social media abuse without stifling free speech

 Ghanaian artiste Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr., popularly known as Shatta Wale, has called for a balanced framework to tackle defamation, harassment and other forms of abuse on social media while protecting freedom of expression.

In an open letter to President John Dramani Mahama dated September 28, Shatta Wale said Ghana's response to harmful online content should be guided by clearly defined laws, due process and independent judicial oversight.

His proposal comes after President Mahama called for a national stakeholder dialogue on how Ghana should regulate TikTok and other new media platforms.

Speaking at a town hall meeting with Ghanaians in New York on September 25, President Mahama said the growing use of TikTok and other platforms had created challenges around misinformation, insults and information integrity.

He urged the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) to bring relevant stakeholders together to determine how new media should be regulated and whether the police should be involved.

In his letter, Shatta Wale said his position was informed partly by his experience as a public figure who had been subjected to what he described as unverified allegations and public ridicule.

He argued that the problem did not begin with social media, but evolved from sections of entertainment commentary and later spread to online comment sections before being amplified by platforms that allow anyone with a mobile phone to broadcast instantly.

According to him, the consequences now extend beyond celebrities, with traditional leaders, businesspeople, journalists, public officials and ordinary citizens all exposed to online abuse.

He stressed that freedom of speech and freedom of the media, guaranteed by Ghana's 1992 Constitution, must remain protected.

However, he said those freedoms should not be interpreted as a licence to threaten, harass or knowingly spread damaging falsehoods.