English football welcomes Online Safety Bill and wants enactment soon to tackle social media abuse
Online Safety Bill could see social media companies fined up to 10 per cent of turnover or £18m while senior managers could also face criminal action; new internet bill is expected to come before parliament in the coming months
Wednesday 12 May 2021 11:40, UK
English football's governing bodies have welcomed a planned new law to punish social media companies if they fail to stamp out online abuse, saying it should be enacted as soon as possible.
The Online Safety Bill would see social media companies fined up to 10 per cent of turnover or £18m while senior managers could also face criminal action.
Sky Sports joined the wider sporting community in taking part in a social media boycott between April 30 and May 3 in an attempt to tackle online abuse and discrimination.
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A joint statement on Tuesday, from several bodies including the Premier League, the Football Association, the EFL and Kick it Out, read: "English football welcomes the announcement of the Online Safety Bill in today's Queen's Speech and we are calling for it to be enacted in legislation as soon as possible.
"Social media companies must be held to account for protecting their users.
"It is therefore vital that any legislative and regulatory frameworks are robust and effective in requiring social media companies to do more to prevent, detect and remove discriminatory abuse from their platforms.
"This opportunity must be seized to ensure that individuals and communities are protected from toxic online abuse.
"The recent boycott of social media, which was led by English football and supported by other sports, international governing bodies, businesses, charities and individuals worldwide, showed that we have collectively had enough.
"Today's announcement represents progress, and we welcome the opportunity to continue working with Government to ensure measures are put in place as quickly as possible.
"We urge social media companies to recognise the impact of their inaction and to take moral responsibility by acting now to address abuse on their platforms before regulation is in place."
Dowden: Fans came come together on this
Culture secretary Oliver Dowden believes there is a willingness for fans to come together in the battle to stop online abuse.
Dowden, the secretary of state for the Department of Digitial, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) visited League One side Charlton ahead of the launch of the Online Safety Bill.
Speaking at the event, Dowden said: "It's been really inspiring to see the work Charlton have done over the years. We saw how fans came together to stop the European Super League proposals and I think there is a similar feeling to come together and to stop the racism and hate online that football players are experiencing."
Charlton academy player Wassim Aouachria got the chance to speak to Dowden about his personal experiences of social media abuse.
Aouachria said: "I am very pleased to hear that action is being taken to stamp out discriminatory abuse on social media.
"I was on the receiving end of abuse on social media a few months ago and it was difficult to understand for myself and my family.
"I was grateful for the support I got from the club and more needs to be done so people are held accountable for their actions.
"Hopefully the upcoming Online Safety Bill can help us create a safer, more welcoming and inclusive environment for players, managers, staff, fans and everyone associated with football."
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Kick It Out is football's equality and inclusion organisation - working throughout the football, educational and community sectors to challenge discrimination, encourage inclusive practices and campaign for positive change.
