The government is awaiting final legal clearance from the Attorney-General before rolling out measures to block internet addresses used to stream pay-TV content illegally, as it prepares to intensify its crackdown on piracy.
Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, says the technical framework for the enforcement measures is ready, with the government now focused on ensuring the proposed actions are legally defensible.
“The real clampdown is about to begin,” he told a joint press briefing with Canal+ and MultiChoice Ghana on Monday, 26 October 2026.
He said the National Communications Authority and the Cyber Security Authority had reviewed the proposed measures, including blocking internet protocol addresses associated with illegal streaming.
“We’ve put in place the mechanism to be able to deal with those ramifications and we just need the AG’s all clear,” the Minister said.
The planned intervention marks a shift from the government’s earlier focus on subscription affordability to enforcement against illegal access to pay-TV services.
The government’s engagement with Canal+ and MultiChoice Ghana, operators of DStv, has produced four revised subscription packages scheduled to take effect on 5 November, with monthly prices ranging from GH¢50 to GH¢570.
The revised packages are intended to give subscribers options at different price points as the government moves to make legitimate access more affordable ahead of the planned crackdown.
The Minister said the government was being careful to establish the legal basis for the enforcement measures before implementation, particularly because blocking IP addresses could carry legal consequences.
“Technically we’re good to go, we just want to make sure that we’re legally good,” he said.
Mr George, a lawyer by training, added: “I’m also a lawyer, I have no excuse. So let me get the attorney general’s all clear so that I can proceed safely.”
He did not provide a specific date for the rollout, indicating that the government was still completing the required legal processes.
The anti-piracy drive is expected to target unauthorised access to pay-TV content, including illegal streaming services.
However, the effectiveness of the measures will depend on enforcement and the ability of regulators to identify and disrupt illegal distribution channels.
For the government, the strategy combines lower-cost subscription options with tougher enforcement against piracy, in an effort to improve access to legitimate services while protecting operators’ commercial interests.
