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BLACKOUT: Why are football teams boycotting social media?
English football teams and officials will conduct a social media blackout starting today to protest the online abuse players, and those connected to the sport, receive.
The action is the most direct effort by a sport to pressure social media companies like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to take action against online abuse,
“There have been abuses both on the pitch and on social media. This is unacceptable and needs to be stopped, with the help of the public and legislative authorities and the social media giants”
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said.
“I urge everyone — players, clubs and national associations — to lodge formal complaints whenever players, coaches, referees or officials are victims of unacceptable tweets or messages.
“We’ve had enough of these cowards who hide behind their anonymity to spew out their noxious ideologies.”
This comes after a season in which players, clubs, team executives, referees, female commentators and others have been the targets of abuse.