Football legend Thierry Henry has called for online trolls to be held “accountable” on social media platforms as “they can say whatever they like with no real consequences.”
Ex-Arsenal forward Henry also warned that abuse is causing problems for footballers at all levels of the game and has led players and their families to suffer from mental health issues.
He shared his experiences with MPs during a virtual event in parliament on Tuesday organised by The Football Association (FA), the Premier League and campaign group Compassion in Politics.
The level of abuse, often surrounding his race, that Henry had received led him to quit social media earlier this year.
“On social media platforms it seems you can say whatever you want and there are no real consequences. This needs to change and people need to be held accountable,” the former France international said.
“There is attention on this topic, but we still have some way to go. I don’t want my kids to go through abuse, my family, friends or indeed anyone to experience any kind of online abuse.”
Henry was joined by Manchester City and England defender Lucy Bronze, who also shared the extent of sexist abuse she had received. Bronze said she experienced sexism every day.
“Every day of my life I experience sexism on social media, and I play with a lot of players who experience all types of online abuse,” she said.
“I’m aware of victims who have been blocked from reporting their experiences to social media platforms, if they reach a limit on reporting.
“Right now, we punish the victim but not the abusers. There has to be a way to hold people accountable and its time something was done.
“That’s why it was so important for me to take part in the event today and share my experiences, so that change can happen quickly.”
Bronze and Henry called on MPs make sure social media giants were doing everything in their power to tackle online abuse and urged the Government to force them to strongly limit the use of anonymous accounts online.
Their remarks, revealed by i today, come as police investigate racist abuse targeted at Marcus Rashford after Manchester United’s defeat in the Europa League final against Villarreal.
Edleen John, of the FA, welcomed the opportunity to speak to MPs about the issue but urged social media sites to go further in tackling abuse on their platforms.
“Online abuse has a lasting psychological impact not just on those who receive it, but on their friends and family too. In our discussion, with Thierry and Lucy, we heard first-hand about the need for change and the current failings of social media organisations,” Mr John said.
“These two household names shared the current onus on victims, whereas abusers can operate within a culture of impunity and without real-world consequences. This has to stop and social media companies have a moral obligation to do more to tackle this endemic issue.”
The event was co-hosted by All-Party Parliamentary Groups including those for Digital Regulation and Responsibility, Women in Parliament, and Compassionate Politics.
Debbie Abrahams MP, Co-Chair of the All-Party Group for Compassionate Politics, also laid blame at the Government’s feet, warning that current proposals did not go far enough in tackling the abuse.
“Anonymous abuse is ruining lives and wrecking our democracy. For that reason, and like so many MPs, I was deeply disappointed that the government’s draft Online Safety Bill makes no reference to curtailing the number or reach of anonymous accounts,” Ms Abrahams said.
“This is despite the fact that anonymous accounts are the source of most of the violently abusive, factually inaccurate, and outright illegal material online. It is despite the fact that public figures like Thierry and Lucy have told us time and again that most of the abuse they receive comes from anonymous accounts. An Online Safety Bill that fails to deal with anonymity will not be worthy of the name.”
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3c0pjxJ
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