This compares to 44 racist messages during England’s first three matches of the tournament. The England manager, Gareth Southgate, said the abuse players had received was “unforgivable”. The call for action is now a familiar refrain, with football collectively prioritising the issue of online abuse for the past year. Critics say it could have the long-term effect of harming the ability of minorities to speak freely online and that online abuse is already posted by people using their own identity. A spokesperson for Twitter said: “The abhorrent racist abuse directed at England players last night has absolutely no place on Twitter.

Source: The Guardian July 12, 2021 11:34 UTC