Social media platforms have been put on notice by regulator Ofcom, which has warned they will be "held to account" if they fail to protect players and television pundits during the upcoming World Cup. The watchdog has written to online companies, urging them to eradicate "illegal hate and abuse" ahead of the tournament, which commences on 11 June.
The directive follows a history of high-profile online abuse targeting footballers. Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho were all subjected to racial abuse online after missing penalties in England’s Euro 2020 final defeat. More recently, defender Jess Carter revealed she felt unable to leave her hotel room during England’s victorious Euro 2025 campaign due to racial targeting on social media.
