By Christiana Afua Nyarko, GNA
Accra, Aug. 10, GNA – The smartphone has become an indispensable companion in the lives of modern people.
It wakes people up each morning, stores cherished memories, facilitates smooth business transactions and connects people globally.
Yet, behind its convenience lies a sobering reality: every photograph taken, every application installed, every permission granted, and every file uploaded to and downloaded from the cloud leaves behind a digital footprint that may last longer than its owner.
For cybersecurity experts, this invisible trail has become one of the greatest privacy challenges of the digital age.
Unlike paper documents that can be shredded or photographs that can be burnt, digital information can be copied endlessly, stored on multiple servers across jurisdictions, and reproduced long after users believe it has been deleted.
This is why cybersecurity professionals often say, “the internet never forgets,” Dr Nana Kofi Annan added.
Dr Annan, an Information Technology expert and Senior Lecturer at the Ghana Communication Technology University, believes that many Ghanaians are embracing digital technologies without fully appreciating the risks involved.
“What people don’t know is that the phone you have is a connected device,” he told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) during a telephone interview.
“You are now a digital citizen, and as a digital citizen, you must be careful how you conduct yourself in the digital space,” he cautioned.
His warning comes against the backdrop of increasing reports of online blackmail, privacy breaches and sextortion in Ghana and elsewhere.
The Cyber Security Authority (CSA), in a 2025 advisory, reported a rise in online blackmail and sextortion cases, with increased financial losses recorded within just the first four months of the year.
The Authority noted that criminals commonly lure victims through fake social media profiles, convince them to share intimate content or participate in explicit video calls, secretly record the material and later demand money with threats to publish it.
This reinforces one of Dr Annan’s strongest messages: never create or store intimate content on digital devices.
When trust meets technology
Many victims of online privacy breaches never imagine they will become targets.
Often, they are ordinary people sharing intimate moments with partners they trust. According to Dr Annan, that trust can quickly become a liability.
“Why record it? You are having your private moment. For what purpose are you recording it?” he questioned.
The cybersecurity expert explained that many people mistakenly believe their smartphones are private storage devices. In reality, they are permanently connected to wider digital ecosystems through cloud services, applications, wireless networks and internet-connected devices.
Each application installed on a phone requests permissions — sometimes to the camera, microphone, contacts, photographs, or even location. Unfortunately, many users approve these requests without reading the terms and conditions.
“Most of us don’t take time to read the permissions we grant these applications,” Dr Annan observed.
Cybersecurity researchers have repeatedly identified excessive application permissions as one of the major privacy risks affecting smartphone users globally.
A study on online privacy concerns among Ghanaian internet users found that perceived vulnerability to unauthorised collection and misuse of personal information remains high, with internet literacy significantly influencing people’s ability to protect their privacy online.
For Dr Annan, the solution begins with awareness.
“I always say you must be smart to use a smartphone. Otherwise, the smartphone becomes smarter than you.”
The misconception of ‘Delete’
Perhaps the greatest misconception among internet users is believing that deleting a file means it has disappeared forever. That assumption, cybersecurity specialists say, is dangerously misleading.
Copies of photographs and videos may already exist in cloud backups, messaging applications, social media servers, shared folders, or even on the devices of other people.
Once uploaded or transmitted, retrieving complete control becomes almost impossible.
Dr Annan recalled assisting a senior Ghanaian public official whose reputation had been affected by online publications that remained searchable years after the matter had been resolved.
Despite obtaining a favourable court ruling, removing the digital traces proved extremely difficult.
Google, he explained, required legal documentation before acting, while many of the original publications had to be removed individually by website administrators.
“Sometimes we couldn’t remove it completely,” he recalled.
“But we reduced the damage it was causing to his image on the internet.”
The experience illustrates a fundamental truth about digital footprints: information copied across multiple platforms rarely disappears entirely.
Experts therefore advise internet users to think carefully before posting or recording anything they would not want permanently associated with their names.
Encrypted does not mean invincible
Another widespread misconception concerns encrypted messaging platforms. Many users assume that because a service advertises end-to-end encryption, every photograph or video shared through it is permanently secure. Dr Annan disagrees.
“What has been encrypted can also be decrypted,” he explained.
He clarifies that encryption simply makes information more difficult — not impossible — to access without authorisation. The strength of protection depends on the quality of the encryption, the security practices of users, and the evolving capabilities of cybercriminals.
Using a simple analogy, he compared encryption to different types of doors.
A weak wooden door provides some protection but can be broken with relative ease. A reinforced steel door presents a much greater obstacle.
Similarly, some encryption systems provide stronger protection than others.
“But if people keep trying,” he said, “one day they may succeed.”
Cybersecurity experts therefore caution that encrypted platforms should never be viewed as safe repositories for sensitive or intimate material.
The safest approach, they say, is to avoid creating such digital content altogether.
Hidden cameras and unseen dangers
Beyond smartphones, Dr Annan warned of another emerging privacy threat — the misuse of concealed surveillance devices.
Although hidden cameras are legally deployed in many settings for legitimate security purposes, he cautioned that criminals may exploit miniature recording devices to secretly capture intimate encounters.
“There are people who do this as a profession,” he said.
He advised travellers to remain observant when occupying hotel rooms and unfamiliar accommodation. Simple precautions such as visually inspecting rooms and paying attention to unusual electronic devices may help identify suspicious objects.
While there is no evidence suggesting that hidden-camera incidents are widespread across Ghana’s hospitality industry, cybersecurity professionals argue that public vigilance remains an important component of personal digital safety.
A new form of citizenship
Dr Annan believes Ghana’s digital transformation requires a corresponding transformation in digital behaviour.
Using smartphones effectively, he argues, is no longer simply about downloading applications or posting on social media. It requires understanding privacy, data protection, cyber hygiene, and the long-term consequences of digital actions.
His call aligns with broader efforts by the Cyber Security Authority, which has intensified nationwide public education campaigns on online safety, child online protection, and responsible internet use under the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038).
Researchers studying cybersecurity awareness across Africa have similarly concluded that public education remains one of the continent’s weakest but most essential defences against cybercrime, recommending sustained national awareness campaigns and capacity building for citizens.
As Ghana embraces artificial intelligence, cloud computing and an increasingly connected digital economy, experts say one lesson deserves constant repetition — technology remembers.
A photograph taken in seconds can remain searchable for decades. A careless tap on a smartphone can create consequences that outlast careers, relationships and even court victories.
In the digital age, safeguarding one’s privacy no longer begins with sophisticated software. It begins with informed choices.
GNA
Reporter: Christiana Afua Nyarko, GNA
[email protected]
Edited by Samuel Osei-Frempong