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    Casey Stoney calls out Mark Zuckerberg after Lauren James is racially abused once again on Instagram

    CASEY STONEY has called out Instagram owner Mark Zuckerberg for not doing enough after Lauren James was racially abused once again on his platform.James, 19, suffered the horrific abuse when she put up a picture of her hugging her little sister on Insta last week.
    Stoney called out Instagram and owner Zuckerberg after Lauren James was racially abused on the siteCredit: Getty
    James received the abuse after she posted a picture with her little sister last weekCredit: Getty
    This led to a troll leaving monkey emojis underneath the pic which infuriated Stoney.
    The mortified Manchester United boss responded today, and chose to directly address Zuckerberg, questioning his character and values in the process.
    She wrote on her Instagram story: ” @Instagram, is this what you think is acceptable.
    ” @Zuck are these the values and behaviours you align with?”
    This isn’t the first time Stoney has pleaded with social media bosses to take action against online trolls who have abused James.
    The teen ace had been subjected to identical comments just a few months ago and begged owners to “wake up” to the racist threats taking place online.
    At the time, Stoney said: “I just genuinely cannot understand how we can abuse a 19-year-old because of the colour of their skin.
    Stoney questioned Zuckerberg’s values on her story
    “Just because they are known because they play football and have a profile, we go after them.
    “It’s disgusting, it’s utterly disgusting. I think the government and powers that be need to do so much more to govern these social media platforms. 
    “And we need to stand up, speak up and make it unacceptable that this happens.”
    But despite Stoney, James’ and many other’s pleas, racial abuse is still rife on social media.
    It is also prevalent in the men’s game, which led to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry to announce his hiatus from all online platforms until something was done.

    Now, English football has followed suit and all clubs will be taking part in a social media blackout starting on Friday April 30, till Monday May 3.
    During the boycott will not use their social media accounts, in a show of solidarity with the hope that online bosses like Zuckerberg will start taking the abuse seriously.
    Footy magazine Shekicks have also reported that WSL sides will be joining the boycott this weekend.
    English football will be staging a social media boycott this weekend in a bid to combat the vile abuse
    Premier League clubs join four-day social media boycott to tackle racism and hate More

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    Kyle Walker is latest footballer racially abused on Instagram as Man City star asks ‘when is this going to stop?!’

    KYLE WALKER has revealed the disgusting racist abuse he has suffered on Instagram amid a spate of online attacks.The Manchester City defender, 30, posted a screenshot of a direct message he had been sent by an anonymous account.
    Kyle Walker has revealed the horrific abuse he encounters on social mediaCredit: Getty
    After featuring in his club’s Carabao Cup final win, he was left dismayed by the message and captioned his post: “When is this going to stop?!”
    A growing number of footballers have been targeted by racist trolls in recent months.
    Calls for social media companies to take greater action to prevent the abuse from taking place have led to a coordinated boycott of platforms.
    From 3pm on Friday, April 30, to the end of Bank Holiday Monday, May 3, every club in the Premier League, Football League and Women’s Super League will boycott their Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts.
    Several players, past and present, fans and other figures in the game have vowed to join in and send a clear message to social media platforms.
    A joint statement read: “The FA, Premier League, EFL, FA Women’s Super League, FA Women’s Championship, PFA, LMA, PGMOL, Kick It Out and the FSA will unite for a social media boycott in response to the ongoing and sustained discriminatory abuse received online by players and many others connected to football.
    The boycott shows English football coming together to emphasise that social media must do more to eradicate online hate.Joint statement by various football leagues

    “The boycott shows English football coming together to emphasise that social media companies must do more to eradicate online hate, while highlighting the importance of educating people in the ongoing fight against discrimination.
    “While some progress has been made, we reiterate those requests today in an effort to stem the relentless flow of discriminatory messages and ensure that there are real-life consequences for purveyors of online abuse.
    “While football takes a stand, we urge the UK Government to ensure its Online Safety Bill will bring in legislation to make social media companies more accountable.”
    Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who recently shut all his social media accounts amid continued racist abuse, described the move as ‘powerful’ and his ‘happiest moment’.
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
    Premier League clubs join four-day social media boycott to tackle racism and hate More

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    Premier League social media blackout set to be agreed as clubs unite in powerful anti-racism message

    PREMIER LEAGUE clubs are set to agree a social media boycott, according to reports.Top-flight teams want to send a message that racism will not be tolerated and will launch a war against online hate.
    Premier League clubs are considering boycotting social media between May 1 and May 3Credit: Getty
    According to Daily Mail, teams are planning to go silent on social media for 24 hours either side of their game on the ‘Weekend of Action’ between May 1-3.
    And the report adds that the Premier League will also boycott social media for the duration of the round of fixtures.
    Clubs have been asked to confirm their support for the plans by 2pm on Monday 19 April, the report states.
    The move is a bid to ramp up pressure on social platforms to act against online hate and abuse after a spate of recent incidents.
    It comes after Swansea ditched social media for a week in a self-imposed seven-day exile.
    Rangers also followed suit in Scotland with a boycott of their own.
    Thierry Henry last month told SunSport’s Troy Deeney why he quit social media.
    The Arsenal legend shut down his accounts to take a stand against online abuse.
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
    Clubs want to send a message that hate will not be toleratedCredit: Getty
    Henry explained: “Even if you have two million comments that are great, if you have one or two or three that aren’t, it has an impact on you.
    “I’m a man, I’m 43, but I’m still trying to figure out what kind of person I can be.
    “So just imagine when you are a kid and what it can do to your mental health.
    “The sheer pressure of not being on Instagram or Twitter or whatever is second to none for kids.
    “I’m always going to fight for my community and my sport. Being black and in football, I’ve seen too many people suffer.
    “But let’s not forget about the rest. That’s why I mentioned bullying and harassment and the impact it can have on you mentally.

    “People go to the extent of committing suicide. Not only black people are getting abuse on social media, not only football players.”
    The France legend added: “There is freedom of speech. But you can’t shout whatever you want in an airport, a cinema, a police station. This is my point: accountability.
    “Wilfried Zaha got abused and we find out after that the kid is 12 years old. How do you have an account? How can we not know who you are behind that account?”
    Thierry Henry explains his decision to quit social media More

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    Premier League clubs set to join forces to boycott social media in stand against vile racists after spate of incidents

    PREMIER LEAGUE clubs are considering joining forces to boycott social media.Top-flight teams want to send a message that racism will not be tolerated and a blanket boycott is one way to do so.
    Premier League clubs are considering joining forces to take a stand against online abuseCredit: Reuters
    According to Daily Mail, teams could unite to stay away from platforms such as Instagram and Twitter for an entire round of fixtures.
    The report adds that the idea of a Friday 5pm to Monday 9am social media hiatus has been discussed.
    And such a move would ramp up pressure on social platforms to act against online hate and abuse after a spate of recent incidents.
    One potential hurdle for such a blanket boycott is the commercial deals and agreements that clubs have to promote on their social channels.
    It comes after Swansea ditched social media for a week in a self-imposed seven-day exile.
    Rangers also followed suit in Scotland with a boycott of their own.
    Thierry Henry last month told SunSport’s Troy Deeney why he quit social media.
    The Arsenal legend shut down his accounts to take a stand against online abuse.
    Clubs are pondering a potential boycott social media for an entire round of fixturesCredit: Getty
    Henry explained: “Even if you have two million comments that are great, if you have one or two or three that aren’t, it has an impact on you.
    “I’m a man, I’m 43, but I’m still trying to figure out what kind of person I can be.
    “So just imagine when you are a kid and what it can do to your mental health.
    “The sheer pressure of not being on Instagram or Twitter or whatever is second to none for kids.
    “I’m always going to fight for my community and my sport. Being black and in football, I’ve seen too many people suffer.
    “But let’s not forget about the rest. That’s why I mentioned bullying and harassment and the impact it can have on you mentally.

    “People go to the extent of committing suicide. Not only black people are getting abuse on social media, not only football players.”
    The France legend added: “There is freedom of speech. But you can’t shout whatever you want in an airport, a cinema, a police station. This is my point: accountability.
    “Wilfried Zaha got abused and we find out after that the kid is 12 years old. How do you have an account? How can we not know who you are behind that account?”
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    Man Utd star Anthony Martial subjected to vile racist abuse after West Brom draw.. the latest incident in worrying trend

    ANTHONY MARTIAL has once again been targeted by racist trolls following Manchester United’s draw with West Brom.
    The France striker – along with club team-mate Axel Tuanzebe – were both on the receiving end of horrific abuse following the loss at the hands of Sheffield Utd on January 27.

    Anthony Martial has been targeted by vile racists following Man Utd’s 1-1 draw with West BromCredit: AFP

    And Martial was subjected to yet more disgraceful taunts on social media after the West Brom game, despite social media vowing to clamp down on racists.
    Martial, 25, started the game at The Hawthorns, but was replaced by Mason Greenwood after 66 minutes of the 1-1 stalemate.
    Immediately after the match, the United star was subjected to racist abuse on Instagram just days after their vow to crack down on vile trolls.
    Sick racists posted horrifying messages to various posts on his Instagram page, including the use of abusive emojis and the N-word.

    It is just the latest incident in a string of worrying racist attacks aimed at players.
    Tuanzebe and Martial were abused after the loss against Sheff Utd.
    Team-mate Marcus Rashford was targeted after the 0-0 draw with Arsenal.
    Southampton teenager Alex Jankewitz was also among the many footballers to be attacked in recent weeks.

    Martial and team-mate Axel Tuanzebe were trolled by sick racists following last month’s loss to Sheff UtdCredit: PA:Press Association

    Chelsea pair Reece James and Antonio Rudiger were both sent racist abuse, as well as James’ sister and Red Devils star Lauren.
    West Brom’s Romaine Sawyers was also on the receiving end of some abhorrent abuse last month – with a man arrested.
    Swansea and Manchester City said they were ‘appalled’ and ‘saddened’ as police opened an investigation into racist abuse sent to Yan Dhanda earlier this week.
    Instagram admitted their systems have struggled to block many of the abusive posts because they do not routinely screen direct messages as they are supposed to be private.
    But the company – owned by Facebook – have vowed to act more quickly in banning those behind the racist messages.
    They have also promised to work with police as much as possible to prosecute the abusers.
    Instagram has vowed to make it easier for users to use settings to block terms or emojis from reaching them.
    They also say it is working on a new feature – planned for roll-out later this year – which will improve the ability to stop abusive DMs reaching them.

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    Cristiano Ronaldo reaches historic 500 MILLION social media followers while Georgina Rodriguez launches fashion range

    CRISTIANO RONALDO has continued to set records on and off the pitch after reaching 500 million followers on social media.
    The Juventus superstar became the first celebrity to hit the historic half a billion figure across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

    Cristiano Ronaldo has hit the 500 million mark on social mediaCredit: Instagram

    The Portuguese star is the first person to hit half a billion followersCredit: Instagram / @cristiano

    Juventus star Ronaldo is the most followed celebrity on Instagram

    The five-time Ballon d’Or winner earns more in sponsorship than football salaryCredit: Instagram

    The 36-year-old pops up on 124m Facebook feeds, 91m users’ Twitter timelines and his photos appear to a whopping 261m people on Instagram.
    Other than Insta’s own personal account with 386m followers, Ronaldo’s page is the most followed of anyone in the world.
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    Even on YouTube, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner exceeds a million despite not using the account for four years.

    Ronaldo’s great rival Lionel Messi only boasts 90m Facebook followers and 183m on Instagram, while the Argentine doesn’t have Twitter.
    SunSport revealed last year that CR7 actually makes more money on social media than he does playing for Juventus.
    Ronaldo saw an increase of £3.5m from his Instagram earnings last year from in 2019 by pocketing an average £971,000 per sponsored post.
    Over the past year he promoted Nike, his fragrance CR7 Play it Cool and even an EMS training device called ‘Sixpad’.

    His partner Georgina Rodriguez, who regularly frequents his page, has also amassed 24m followers and is one of the fastest growing Instagram’s.

    Ronaldo’s Social Media Following

    Instagram: 261m
    Twitter: 91m
    Facebook: 147m
    YouTube: 1m

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    And the Spanish model has continued to branch out with the launch of her own clothing line.
    Rodriguez is no stranger to the fashion industry having caught the eye of Ronaldo when she worked as a sales assistant at a Gucci store in Madrid.
    The 27-year-old will be hoping her own fashion line is just as successful as Ronaldo’s, as his ‘CR7’ range continues to grow.

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    Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter chief Jack Dorsey called out by football chiefs to end abuse on social media

    ENGLISH football has united to demand social media giants stop talking and start acting to root out online abuse.
    In a direct and no punches pulled message to Twitter chief Jack Dorsey and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, representatives of all areas of the game came together in an open letter to tell the companies that ‘basic human decency’ required intervention.

    Football chiefs have penned a joint letter to social media giants including Facebook’s Mark ZuckerbergCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    Twitter boss Jack Dorsey is the other recipient of the letterCredit: Reuters

    Recent weeks have seen players including Anthony Martial, Axel Tuanzebe, Reece James, Romaine Sawyers and Lauren James subjected to vile racist abuse.
    And referee Mike Dean will not work this weekend following online death threats posted to his family.
    The damning letter was signed by FA chief Mark Bullingham, Prem boss Richard Masters, Gordon Taylor, EFL chief exec Trevor Birch, womens’ game leader Kelly Simmons, the LMA’s Richard Bevan, Mike Riley and Sanjay Bhandari of Kick It Out.
    It said: “The language used is debasing, often threatening and illegal.

    “It causes distress to the recipients and the vast majority of people who abhor racism, sexism and discrimination of any kind.
    “We have had many meetings with your executives over the years but the reality is your platforms remain havens for abuse.
    “Your inaction has created the belief in the minds of the anonymous perpetrators that they are beyond reach.”
    Players are understood to be considering a boycott of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as a sign of their growing anger and indignation.

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    And Edleen John, the FA director in charge of equality, diversity and inclusion, explained: “The companies must be able to create an algorithm which filters and blocks this abuse.
    “There must also be a swift takedown of anything they see that could be abusive or deemed abusive.
    “Users need to be verified. We have keyboard warriors sitting at home, typing whatever they want, and nobody is able to trace them or where they are.
    “I don’t believe these social media companies are unable to do that. If there is anybody who can find that information, it’s going to be a massive tech company.
    “We’ve been talking for 18 months. It seems there isn’t that impetus or momentum in the social media companies to address this.
    “It shouldn’t take 18 months to build an algorithm for them to be able to stop some of the stuff that’s happening.”
    ‘THEY’RE NOT READY TO MAKE THAT CHANGE’
    Twitter and Facebook both responded by insisting they were taking the issue seriously, in the wake of Government threats to levy fines of 10 per cent of their global earnings if the abuse continued.
    A Twitter spokesperson said: “There is no room for racist abuse on Twitter and we are resolute in our commitment to ensure the football conversation on our service is safe for fans, players and everyone involved in the game.
    “We strongly condemn this behaviour and will continue to take swift action on the minority that try to undermine the conversation for the majority.”
    Facebook added: “We don’t want hate and racism on our platforms and remove it when we find it.”
    But John added: “The discussions are always around ‘well, you know, we can’t look at things like emojis, because you have to think of context’.
    “If you are talking about a black person receiving a banana or a monkey, I’m not sure any further context or explanation is needed.
    “And if you can build a robot to vacuum your house you must be able to create an AI mechanism that can see words, emojis and pictures and filter them.
    “The only conclusion you can draw is they’re not ready to make that change and they don’t want to because they are more interested in driving people to the platforms.”
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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    Instagram vows to ban trolls who racially abuse footballers and reduce hateful DMs after coming under fire

    INSTAGRAM has broken its silence on the racist abuse aimed on footballers and vowed to get tough on those who use the platform to send hate messages.
    The social network, owned by Facebook, has been criticised for not doing enough to prevent sick individuals racially abusing stars.

    Axel Tuanzebe is one of the many footballers to experience racist abuse on social media in recent weeksCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    They admit their systems have struggled to block many of the abusive posts from hitting home because they do not routinely screen direct messages as they are supposed to be private.
    But the company have vowed to be quicker banning those behind the racist messages and promised to work with police as much as possible to prosecute the abusers.
    Instagram said in a statement: “We want Instagram to be a place for people to connect with the people and things they love. But we also know that, just like in the offline world, there will always be those who abuse others.
    “We’ve seen it most recently with racist online abuse targeted at footballers in the UK. We don’t want this behaviour on Instagram.

    “The abuse we’re seeing is happening a lot in people’s Direct Messages (DMs), which is harder to address than comments on Instagram.
    “Because DMs are for private conversations, we don’t use technology to proactively detect content like hate speech or bullying the same way we do in other places.
    “But there are still more steps we can take to help prevent this type of behaviour.
    “So today we’re announcing some new measures, including removing the accounts of people who send abusive messages, and developing new controls to help reduce the abuse people see in their DMs.

    “Currently, when someone sends DMs that break our rules, we prohibit that person from sending any more messages for a set period of time.
    “Now, if someone continues to send violating messages, we’ll disable their account.
    “We’ll also disable new accounts created to get around our messaging restrictions, and will continue to disable accounts we find that are created purely to send abusive messages.
    “We’re also committed to cooperation with UK law enforcement authorities on hate speech and will respond to valid legal requests for information in these cases.
    “As we do with all requests from law enforcement, we’ll push back if they’re too broad, inconsistent with human rights, or not legally valid.”
    The company has promised to make it easier for users to use settings to block terms or emojis from reaching them, and says it is working on a new feature to roll out later this year which will improve the ability to stop abusive DMs reaching them.
    Manchester United’s Axel Tuanzebe, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, as well as Southampton teenager Alex Jankewitz are among the many footballers to be targeted in recent weeks.
    Chelsea pair Reece James and Antonio Rudiger were also sent racist abuse, as well as James’ sister and Red Devils star Lauren.

    I’m not sharing screenshots. It would be irresponsible to do so and as you can imagine there’s nothing original in them. I have beautiful children of all colours following me and they don’t need to read it. Beautiful colours that should only be celebrated.
    — Marcus Rashford MBE (@MarcusRashford) January 30, 2021

    Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “For too long the world’s most popular and powerful social media companies have failed to tackle the stream of horrific racist attacks on their platforms.
    “I welcome Instagram’s improved policies but racist abuse is still a fact of life for too many people and more has to be done across the board to stamp it out.
    “We’re introducing a new age of accountability for these companies through our upcoming Online Safety Bill and this could see huge fines for firms which fail to clearly and transparently protect their users.”

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