Latest news with #onlineabuse
The Verge
4 days ago
- The Verge
Facebook ranks worst for online harassment, according to a global activist survey
Activists around the world are calling attention to harassment they've faced on Meta's platforms. More than 90 percent of land and environmental defenders surveyed by Global Witness, a nonprofit organization that also tracks the murders of environmental advocates, reported experiencing some kind of online abuse or harassment connected to their work. Facebook was the most-cited platform, followed by X, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Global Witness and many of the activists it surveyed are calling on Meta and its peers to do more to address harassment and misinformation on their platforms. Left to fester, they fear that online attacks could fuel real-world risks to activists. Around 75 percent of people surveyed said they believed that online abuse they experienced corresponded to offline harm. 'Those stats really stayed with me. They were so much higher than we expected them to be,' Ava Lee, campaign strategy lead on digital threats at Global Witness, tells The Verge. That's despite expecting a gloomy outcome based on prior anecdotal accounts. 'It has kind of long been known that the experience of climate activists and environmental defenders online is pretty awful,' Lee says. Left to fester, they fear that online attacks could fuel real-world risks Global Witness surveyed more than 200 people between November 2024 and March of this year that it was able to reach through the same networks it taps when documenting the killings of land and environmental defenders. It found Meta-owned platforms to be 'the most toxic.' Around 62 percent of participants said they encountered abuse on Facebook, 36 percent on WhatsApp, and 26 percent on Instagram. That probably reflects how popular Meta's platforms are around the world. Facebook has more than 3 billion active monthly users, more than a third of the global population. But Meta also abandoned its third-party fact-checking program in January, which critics warned could lead to more hate speech and disinformation. Meta moved to a crowdsourced approach to content moderation similar to X, where 37 percent of survey participants reported experiencing abuse. In May, Meta reported a 'small increase in the prevalence of bullying and harassment content' on Facebook as well as 'a small increase in the prevalence of violent and graphic content' during the first quarter of 2025. 'That's sort of the irony as well, of them moving towards this kind of free speech model, which actually we're seeing that it's silencing certain voices,' says Hannah Sharpe, a senior campaigner at Global Witness. Fatrisia Ain leads a local collective of women in Sulawesi, Indonesia, where she says palm oil companies have seized farmers' lands and contaminated a river local villagers used to be able to rely on for drinking water. Posts on Facebook have accused her of being a communist, a dangerous allegation in her country, she tells The Verge. The practice of 'red-tagging' — labeling any dissident voices as communists — has been used to target and criminalize activists in Southeast Asia. In one high-profile case, a prominent environmental activist in Indonesia was jailed under 'anti-communism' laws after opposing a new gold mine. Ain says she's asked Facebook to take down several posts attacking her, without success. 'They said it's not dangerous, so they can't take it down. It is dangerous. I hope that Meta would understand, in Indonesia, it's dangerous,' Ain says. Other posts have accused Ain of trying to defraud farmers and of having an affair with a married man, which she sees as attempts to discredit her that could wind up exposing her to more threats in the real world — which has already been hostile to her activism. 'Women who are being the defenders for my own community are more vulnerable than men … more people harass you with so many things,' she says. Nearly two-thirds of people who responded to the Global Witness survey said that they have feared for their safety, including Ain. She's been physically targeted at protests against palm oil companies accused of failing to pay farmers, she tells The Verge. During a protest outside of a government office, men grabbed her butt and chest, she says. Now, when she leads protests, older women activists surround her to protect her as a security measure. In the Global Witness survey, nearly a quarter of respondents said they'd been attacked on the basis of their sex. 'There's evidence of the way that women and women of color in particular in politics experience just vast amounts more hate than any other group,' Lee says. 'Again, we're seeing that play out when it comes to defenders … and the threats of sexual violence, and the impact that that is having on the mental health of lots of these defenders and their ability to feel safe.' 'We encourage people to use tools available on our platforms to help protect against bullying and harassment,' Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton said in an email to The Verge, adding that the company is reviewing Facebook posts that targeted Ain. Meta also pointed to its 'Hidden Words' feature that allows you to filter offensive direct messages and comments on your posts and its 'Limits' feature that hides comments on your posts from users that don't follow you. Other companies mentioned in the report, including Google, TikTok, and X, did not provide on-the-record responses to inquiries from The Verge. Nor did a palm oil company Ain says has been operating on local farmers' land without paying them, as they're supposed to do under a mandated profit-sharing scheme. Global Witness says there are concrete steps social media companies can take to address harassment on their platforms. That includes dedicating more resources to their content moderation systems, regularly reviewing these systems, and inviting public input on the process. Activists surveyed also reported that they think algorithms that boost polarizing content and the proliferation of bots on platforms make the problem worse. 'There are a number of choices that platforms could make,' Lee says. 'Resourcing is a choice, and they could be putting more money into really good content moderation and really good trust and safety [initiatives] to improve things.' Global Witness plans to put out its next report on the killings of land and environmental defenders in September. Its last such report found that at least 196 people were killed in 2023. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. 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Sky News
5 days ago
- Sport
- Sky News
FA could boycott social media over racism - as it says platforms have 'avoided responsibility' over online abuse
The Football Association has told Sky News it would consider boycotting social media over racism. FA chief executive Mark Bullingham also said platforms have "avoided responsibility" and have made no contact since England star Jess Carter revealed the scale of abuse she's faced throughout the Women's Euros in Switzerland. Mr Bullingham spoke of his anger when asked about the inaction by Elon Musk's X and Mark Zuckerberg's Instagram in the face of Carter's concerns. In the five days since the FA reported the abuse faced by Carter to British police, Sky News has had no response from either company. "We haven't [either]," Mr Bullingham said in an interview ahead of the Lionesses playing Spain in the Euros final on Sunday. "Our general perspective is that those companies have really avoided the responsibility for this over the last few years, they should be taking. "Our hope is that with the new online safety legislation, Ofcom can now bring personal and corporate accountability, so that we see real change. We haven't seen that in the last few years. We would like to see it now." Neither has Kick It Out - English football's anti-discrimination body - whose chairman Sanjay Bhandari told Sky News on Sunday that "it's got worse" on X and Instagram. 2:57 And Mr Bullingham said: "We've generally seen them go backwards in the last couple of years, rather than forwards. "I think the thing that we campaigned for so hard was the legislation that would then allow the government, or really Ofcom, to bring accountability through. And that's what we need to see now." That would mean online safety regulator Ofcom using its powers to fine social media companies that are not quickly removing racism. "Absolutely they should be fining the companies and individuals," Mr Bullingham said. When asked about whether the FA would boycott social media, Mr Bullingham said: "We'd absolutely consider anything that we thought would help. "I think what is more likely at the moment to drive change is personal fines, corporate fines that will really start to make these companies take action in the right place." The issue has become an increasing priority for the FA since Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were targeted with racist abuse online after missing penalties in England's defeat to Italy in the men's Euros final in 2021. All England players are now briefed by police on action to deal with racism online - particularly around tournaments. 1:30 "You're angry that in this day and age, that's all happening," Mr Bullingham said. "Our view is the social media companies need to do more. They need to prevent this happening. "They need to find ways to take it down quicker, and then they need to work with us and the authorities to make sure that we're prosecuting people for what are effectively hate crimes." The England players are now trying to focus on defending their European Championship title in the final against Spain. FA chief hails Lionesses' 'unprecedented success' It is a golden era for the Lionesses, having reached a third consecutive tournament final. Sunday's game is a rematch of the 2023 World Cup final - which saw Spain beat England. "It's an incredibly special moment for English football," Mr Bullingham said. "We see the excitement amongst fans and it pulls the country together in a way very few other things can. So incredibly exciting. "We don't take it for granted to make these finals and we want to enjoy every moment. "I have to have that conversation with my kids regularly that this is not normal. "It's become more normal. But I grew up in an era where we were happy to qualify for tournaments. "So it's really unprecedented success." The hope is to keep it going under Sarina Wiegman, who is under contract until the 2027 World Cup. The Dutch manager has taken the Lionesses to three finals after also making it to two with her homeland team. "Serena is an incredibly special coach, and I think we've got an incredibly special group of players," Mr Bullingham said. What frustrates the football chief is discussing whether Wiegman would be under consideration for the English men's team job. "It's a little bit disrespectful for Lionesses to assume that the England men's job is more senior than the women's," he said. "That's not the way we view our organisation. We view them as equal. "Of course, she's talented enough to do any job in world football. But we're very, very happy with the fact she's with us and she's with us through to at least 2027." What is missing at Wembley is a statue to honour the Women's Euro 2022 win.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Sussex Squad's' sinister Kate theories that left her 'shocked by virulence' at most vulnerable moment. With meticulous research, RICHARD EDEN reveals toxic truth
After completing her chemotherapy treatment, the Princess of Wales admitted last September that it had been an 'incredibly tough' nine months. Her traumatic year was made even more horrendous by the sustained trolling – online mockery and abuse – that our future Queen suffered at the hands of some of the more fanatical supporters of Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
My generation faced racism on the pitch, terraces and streets. Today it's 24/7 digital onslaughts
When the England defender Jess Carter revealed she had been subjected to a barrage of racist abuse on social media during the Uefa European Women's Championship, it exposed a stark reality: the women's game is thriving on the pitch but remains deeply vulnerable to discrimination and online abuse off it. Carter's decision to step away from her social media accounts highlighted her vulnerability and she received support from England's head coach, Sarina Wiegman, her teammates and the Football Association. Within hours of her statement, the FA had engaged UK police and begun collaboration with social media companies to trace those responsible – demonstrating an impressively swift and decisive response. In October 2023, the Online Safety Act became law, ensuring social media platforms have a duty to protect users from content such as racist abuse. Platforms have a responsibility to identify and remove harmful content including all forms of hate speech, with Ofcom responsible for enforcing the legislation. At its core, the fight against racism in football is also a struggle for social justice and human rights. Women constitute 50% of the UK population – collectively a formidable constituency capable of driving cultural change. The unwavering support shown by Wiegman, her backroom staff and the Lionesses squad for Carter illustrates how leadership and community can create a 'safe space' for victims, affirming that togetherness is a powerful counterweight to hatred. But solidarity must extend beyond England's camp. In February the Jamaica international and Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw endured similarly vile online attacks despite her status as a role model in the Women's Super League and her homeland. The strength of condemnation that followed from club, teammates and fans alike showed that confronting prejudice is vital. The nature of abuse has evolved. My generation often faced racist abuse face-to-face: on the pitch, on the terraces, on the streets. Today's players endure 24/7 digital onslaughts. Yet the principle is unchanged: those responsible must be pursued with every conceivable vigour, subjected to the most serious sanctions available and denied any refuge in anonymity. Zero tolerance cannot be a slogan – it must be a legal and cultural imperative. Allowing racism to normalise in the women's game would betray the game's remarkable growth. As grassroots participation surges, welcoming girls of all ethnicities and backgrounds, the duty of care to protect them – and to provide clear pathways into coaching and administration – is paramount for long-term sustainability. We must learn from the men's game, where three generations of potential coaches and executives were lost. Despite Black players accounting for 43% of Premier League and 34% of EFL squads, only 4.4% of coaches and 1.6% of administrators reflect that diversity, according to research by the Black Footballers' Partnership. Such underrepresentation is deeply concerning. Professional football clubs' charitable arms already harness the sport's reach to challenge racial and gender discrimination across society. Equality and inclusion training must be mandatory across all sectors. The highly regarded inclusion training at Charlton Athletic, where I am the vice-chair, exemplifies this, providing powerful insights that promote inclusion and respect. To future-proof the next generation, anti-discrimination and anti-racism education should also be woven into the national curriculum. Racism in football casts a long, damaging shadow. It is deep-rooted and corrodes society. As the Lionesses rightly demand: 'Those behind this online poison must be held accountable.' Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion The racist abuse directed at Carter intensifies the urgent need for stronger accountability measures within football, highlighting why the establishment of an independent football regulator through the Football Governance Act, which received royal assent this week, is so critical. Her experience highlights the need for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded not only in club culture but the governance frameworks that shape football's future. Paul Elliott was the first Black captain in the Premier League and sits on Uefa's human rights board
The Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
France hit out at abuse following Euros defeat
The French Football Federation (FFF) has called for an investigation into hateful online comments following the national team's exit from the Women's Euros. The FFF condemned the abuse, stating that "Nothing can justify such manifestations of hatred," and expressed full support for the players. To combat the issue, the federation has contacted the National Center Against Online Hatred to allow for an investigation into criminal behaviour. This decisive action comes shortly after England defender Jess Carter withdrew from social media due to racial abuse, highlighting a growing concern. France goalkeeper Pauline Peyeaud-Magnin also spoke out against the abuse, emphasising that hatred should never have a place in sport and calling for kindness.
