Defamation in the Digital Era: Social Media and the Emergence of Cyber Libel in Ghana

This paper explores the growing challenges of defamation in Ghana's digital era, where social media platforms like WhatsApp, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and YouTube have become conduits for cyber-libel and online abuse. Tracing Ghana's defamation law from its common-law roots and customary principles, this paper examines how traditional tort principles of defamation are applied to the contemporary concept of cyber-libel. Comparative perspectives from different jurisdictions including The Philippines and The United Arab Emirates will demonstrate how other states have enacted cyber-specific statutes to combat this growing menace online. Additionally, certain key Ghanaian cases, namely; Ace Anan Ankomah v. Kevin Taylor, Rev. John Fordjour v. Stephen Cobbah (aka Adepa) and Yaw Korankye (aka Ampong), and Kojo Forex v. Bongo Ideas will be analyzed to illustrate the courts' approach to dealing with defamatory remarks made online. This paper concludes with the need for a more robust and technology-specific framework to remedy cyber-libel.