The increasing rate of profanity, as well as culturally inappropriate and explicit content on TikTok in the country, has necessitated a meeting between the social media platform and Ghana’s Minister for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation, Sam Nartey George.

In a media address held yesterday, July 3, Sam George addressed the media at the Information Services Department (ISD) Press Centre in Accra on a second-quarter sector update on Ghana’s Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation portfolio.

The minister mentioned that his outfit engaged TikTok’s West African administration on collaborative measures to promote a safer, more inclusive, and responsible digital creative space in Ghana.

“As part of efforts to promote a safe, vibrant, and inclusive digital creative economy, I met with TikTok’s West African government relations team on the 26th of June. Our discussions focused on enforcing age restrictions, safeguarding minors, and promoting responsible content development,” Sam George said.

Live sex acts, nudity trends, which were nicknamed "teleportation challenge," and other sexually explicit behaviour, such as cases where users go live and engage in explicit or sexually suggestive behaviour in exchange for virtual gifts like Diamonds, cards, or LIVE rewards. These gifts can be converted into real money, which unfortunately incentivises such performances.

Sam George admitted that his ministry has taken notice of these disturbing trends, citing that they are unacceptable and go against Ghanaian cultural values.

“I’m deeply concerned about some of the content on TikTok; live sex and explicit materials on TikTok are completely unacceptable, and it’s against our culture and our norms. These were parts of the conversation I held with TikTok’s team to have content moderation in the country,” he added.

The minister stressed the need for content moderation in Ghana, especially in a digital environment where young people are highly active and often exposed to harmful content. To address this, he pointed out that the Cybersecurity Authority has been tasked to take a more active role.

“The Cybersecurity Authority is mandated to do constant surveillance of TikTok platforms and accounts in the country that are engaged in content that is anti-our culture and not appropriate and work with the platform operator to take down those accounts and block the owners of those accounts from operating on those platforms,” he stated.

Sam George also urged TikTok to compensate or incentivise Ghanaian TikTokers for their support and contribution to the growth of the platform. “We must ensure that Ghanaian creators are not just content generators but also beneficiaries of the digital economy they help build,” he said.

He proposed the creation of a monetisation framework tailored to Ghana’s digital economy. Training boot camps for bloggers and creators to help them maximise earnings. Partnerships with local fintech platforms to streamline payouts and reduce barriers to entry.

Although currently Ghana does not rank among TikTok’s top 10 global markets, Ghanaian TikTok users have grown significantly, with an estimated 7.4 million active TikTok users, according to DataReportal as of early 2025. This figure represents approximately 21.3% of Ghana’s total population of 34.7 million at the time.