The FA welcomes introduction of tougher legislation to tackle online abuse

The Football Association has welcomed the introduction of tougher legislation to tackle online abuse in the game.

The Online Safety Bill is scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

“Online abuse is a serious issue in football, from the grassroots and throughout the professional game,” the FA said in a statement.

“We commend the Government for bringing forward this world-first legislation to create a safer online environment and hold social media companies to account.”

English football has been littered with examples of players being abused on social media in recent years.

England trio Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were among the most high-profile victims when they were subjected to racist abuse after missing penalties in last summer’s Euro 2020 final against Italy.

The FA has expressed satisfaction that the Bill has been strengthened in several areas, including hate crime and anonymity, and has pledged to work with the Government as the legislation progresses through Parliament.

New anonymity provisions will ensure that ID verification must be offered as an option and users will have greater control over who can contact them and what they see online.

The Government has also accepted the Law Commission’s recommendations to reform communications offences to include threatening and harassing behaviour online more clearly.

The FA added: “This legislation is a promising first step towards creating a new era of accountability online.

“We would like to offer our support to the Government, parliamentarians, and Ofcom on the ongoing task of developing the secondary legislation and safety guidelines.

This legislation is a promising first step towards creating a new era of