{"id":234613,"date":"2016-07-27T13:00:59","date_gmt":"2016-07-27T13:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=234613"},"modified":"2016-07-27T13:00:59","modified_gmt":"2016-07-27T13:00:59","slug":"social-media-ban-would-breach-citizens-rights-nmc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2016\/07\/social-media-ban-would-breach-citizens-rights-nmc\/","title":{"rendered":"Social media ban would breach citizens’ rights – NMC"},"content":{"rendered":"
The National Media Commission (NMC), has stated that a social media ban in the country would\u00a0be in breach of the rights and freedoms of Ghanaians.<\/p>\n
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), had earlier announced that his outfit was considering shutting down social media services in the country on December 7, to counter the activities of persons who might compromise security efforts ahead of the\u00a0elections.<\/p>\n
The comments sparked widespread criticism from social media users and human rights activists across the country<\/p>\n
Although the police have since clarified that a\u00a0social media blackout\u00a0on election day is only a consideration, it said will\u00a0only be\u00a0a last resort<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n The NMC Chairman, Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng, who was speaking at\u00a0at a ceremony to launch a new Code of Conduct for Members of the Ghana Independent Broadcaster Association (GIBA), stated that banning social media would be unlawful.<\/p>\n “Social media is a useful communication tool and it has come to stay. Any attempt to ban it would constitute a severe infringement on the freedom of expression of Ghanaians,” he said.<\/p>\n He however advised social media users to\u00a0“exercise the most serious discretion in our use of social media especially for political purposes.”<\/p>\n Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng cautioned media organisations who pick stories from\u00a0social media to ensure the credibility of the information before they are broadcast to the public.<\/p>\n “The most menacing thing about social media is the jump of its contents into traditional media without any gate-keeping or professional mediation. The solution is not to ban social media but it\u2019s for each and every one of us to take personal responsibility for what we publish. This is not merely a requirement because it is proper and professional, but because our nation\u2019 safety and survival depend on it,” he added.<\/p>\n