The Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation (MoCDTI), Samuel Nartey George, has said he considered shutting down the internet in Ghana last week following the fatal helicopter crash.
His reason is that, he wanted to stop the circulation of graphic videos before families of the victims were informed.
In a radio interview with Joy FM on Tuesday [August 12, 2025], the Ningo-Prampram Member of Parliament said disturbing footages from the scene of the incident were spreading quickly on WhatsApp, a platform beyond government control.
“I was worried about the mental health of the victims’ children and spouses. I sat in my office and thought, if you were the father of one of the kids and the first way you found out was through that video, what would it do to you? At that point, one of the options on the table was to shut down the internet for a period to allow calm to prevail and give us time to reach the families first,” Mr George said.
“But that also had consequences for news access, emergency communication, and even the economy,” he added
Mr George said the ministry instead worked with the Cyber Security Authority, Meta, which owns WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, and Ghana’s telecom operators to limit circulation.
He said the National Communications Authority (NCA) coordinated with MTN, Telecel and AirtelTigo to send more than 30 million text messages within two hours, urging the public to stop sharing the images. The telecom companies absorbed the entire cost of the alert.
He said Meta removed much of the content from Facebook and Instagram but could not delete encrypted messages on WhatsApp.
He criticised some traditional media outlets for airing graphic scenes, describing it as a breach of professional ethics, and urged greater sensitivity in reporting tragedies.
The minister said the incident showed the need for updated digital laws, adding that planned amendments to the Electronic Communications Act will include provisions drawn from the Ghana Journalists Association’s code of ethics to protect the privacy and dignity of grieving families.
