Encryption Law by Country
Where strong encryption is a right, restricted, or compelled. National law and policy, mirrored per country.
Source: Global Partners Digital, World Map of Encryption, updated 2026-07-02. Full data at www.gp-digital.org/world-map-of-encryption
Encryption Law by Country (196)
General right to encryption
No known legislation or policies.
Mandatory minimum or maximum encryption strength
No known legislation or policies.
Licensing/registration requirements
Section 28 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 prohibits the selling or provision of encryption or authentication services unless it is compliant with the Act. Section 30 provides that the National Information Technology Agency shall act as the “Certifying Agency” and its functions include issuing licences for encryption and authentication service (section 31). A copy of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 can be found here .
Import/export controls
No known legislation or policies.
Other restrictions
No known legislation or policies.
Obligations on individuals to assist authorities
Section 98 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 provides that a law enforcement agent may seize any computer, electronic record, program, information, document, or thing in executing a warrant under the Act if they have reasonable grounds to believe that an offence under the Act has been or is about to be committed. Section 99(1) goes on to provide that, in executing such a warrant, they may be accompanied by an authorised person and are entitled, with the assistance of that person to have access to “information, any code or technology which has the capability of retransforming or unscrambling an encrypted programme or electronic record held in or available to the computer into readable and comprehensible format or text” to investigate an offence under the Act or any other offence which has been disclosed in the course of the lawful exercise of the powers under the Act. In addition, under section 99(2), the law enforcement officer is also entitled to require any suspect or person concerned with the operation of the computer to provide them “with the reasonable technical and other assistance required for investigation or prosecution”. Finally, under section 99(3), the law enforcement officer is specifically entitled to require “a person in possession of decryption information to grant the law enforcement officer access to the decryption information necessary to decrypt an electronic record required to investigate an offence”. A copy of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 can be found here .
Obligations on providers to assist authorities
Section 98 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 provides that a law enforcement agent may seize any computer, electronic record, program, information, document, or thing in executing a warrant under the Act if they have reasonable grounds to believe that an offence under the Act has been or is about to be committed. Section 99(1) goes on to provide that, in executing such a warrant, they may be accompanied by an authorised person and are entitled, with the assistance of that person to have access to “information, any code or technology which has the capability of retransforming or unscrambling an encrypted programme or electronic record held in or available to the computer into readable and comprehensible format or text” to investigate an offence under the Act or any other offence which has been disclosed in the course of the lawful exercise of the powers under the Act. In addition, under section 99(2), the law enforcement officer is also entitled to require any suspect or person concerned with the operation of the computer to provide them “with the reasonable technical and other assistance required for investigation or prosecution”. Finally, under section 99(3), the law enforcement officer is specifically entitled to require “a person in possession of decryption information to grant the law enforcement officer access to the decryption information necessary to decrypt an electronic record required to investigate an offence”. A copy of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 can be found here .
Assessment Text Area
Ghanian law grants law enforcement agents the right to seize any computer, electronic record, program, information, document, or thing from an individual or service provider in executing a warrant if they have reasonable grounds to believe that an offence has been or is about to be committed. Law enforcement officers are also entitled to require access to decryption information and “the reasonable technical and other assistance required for investigation or prosecution”. The law prohibits the sale or provision of encryption or authentication services unless it is compliant with the country’s 2008 Electronic Transactions Act. Per Ghanian law, the National Information Technology Agency is charged with certifying and issuing licenses for encryption and authentication services.
Murphy's Law