Cybersecurity Amendment Bill: Granting Police powers to Cybersecurity Authority Officials dangerous – Cybersecurity expert warns
Cybersecurity expert, George Anti
A cybersecurity expert, George Anti, has called for the immediate removal of the provision of the proposed Cybersecurity Amendment Bill, 2025, which seeks to give officers of the Cyber Security Authority the powers of police officers.
According to him, the Section 20B (1) of the bill if approved would amount to creating a parallel police force, leading to duplication of duties and potential abuse of power.
The Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aims to update the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) to tackle emerging online threats, strengthen Ghana’s digital protection systems, and extend enforcement powers for state agencies.
However, Section 20B (1) of the draft has become a major point of contention.
The section states that “the Director-General, Deputy Director-General and other authorised officers shall exercise the powers of a Police Officer, including the powers of arrest, search and seizure and have the same rights, protections and immunities conferred on a Police officer” under existing laws.
Speaking in an interview on Otec FM’s morning show ‘Nyansapo’ hosted by Kwaku Owusu Boateng on Thursday, October 30, 2025, Mr. Anti strongly opposed the inclusion of this clause, insisting that it violates the constitutional boundaries of law enforcement.
“Giving such powers to the authority officials is another way of creating a police force, which is a duplication of the existing police service already mandated to arrest and handle weapons,” he argued.
George Anti, who is also a lawyer, further warned that the move could endanger public safety, as cybersecurity officials lack the necessary training and experience in handling weapons.
“Allowing the regulators to handle weapons and giving those powers of police to arrest can cause chaos and misuse of weapons, because they don’t know how to handle weapons,” he emphasized.
Mr. Anti maintained that the clause, if not deleted, could lead to excessive use of force and potential harassment of citizens in the name of enforcing cyber laws.
The cybersecurity expert called on citizens and advocacy groups to add their voices to the demand for the removal of Section 20B (1), saying the provision undermines the principles of accountability and the rule of law.
“We must all speak up now to prevent a situation where ordinary Ghanaians could be harassed by officials who are not trained police officers,” he urged.
Meanwhile, the government continues to face mounting pressure from civil society organizations, digital rights advocates, and the Minority in Parliament, who argue that the amendment, if passed in its current form, could be weaponized to stifle online expression and intimidate critics.
The bill is currently before Parliament’s Communications Committee, with public consultations expected to continue in the coming weeks.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com/Francis Appiah
