Isn’t Blocking Social Media “Regressive”? – British High Commissioner Queries

The British High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin, has waded into the controversial consideration by the Ghana Police Service to shut down social media on Election Day. The Inspector General of Police John Kudalor on Thursday stated that the Ghana Police Service is considering closing down social media services during the November 7 general elections.

According to Kudalor, the move is to curtail abuse of the social media platforms where members of the general public hide behind them to create tension. “At one stage I said that if it becomes critical on the eve and also on the Election Day, we shall block all social media as other countries have done. We’re thinking about it,” Kudalor told the media Thursday.

“We are also thinking about the other alternative that the police should be IT compliant and get our own social media [account] to be able to stop these things on time,” Kudalor added.

But in a rhetorical tweet on his official twitter handle, Ambassador Benjamin questioned whether shutting down social media is not regressive in an open democratic country. “Is shutting down social media, even for a day, not a regressive step incompatible with a democratic, open society?”Benjamin asked.

Meanwhile, Dr. Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, the Head of the Department of Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has urged the Police Service not to block social media during the 2016 elections, but rather sensitise people to use the platforms wisely during the polls.