Ofcom has reached out to social media platforms, reiterating their obligations regarding combating online abuse during the World Cup. The regulator emphasized its intention to monitor the actions taken against “illegal hate content” throughout the tournament.
Reflecting on the experiences of England’s players during the men’s 2021 European Championship and the women’s Euros the following year, Ofcom has called on online platforms to implement robust measures to counteract abuse and ensure they are “sufficiently prepared for an uptick in incidents during the World Cup.”
The potential for online harm in connection with major sporting events is a significant concern for the regulator. Ofcom cited research indicating the profound impact that abuse can have on athletes and others involved in these events.
“In past tournaments, players, officials, and coaching staff representing home nations have faced online hate, threats, abuse, and harassment,” the letter from Ofcom states. “There have been noticeable spikes in the dissemination of this content, often targeting Black and minority ethnic players, as well as individuals based on perceived sexual orientation or disability status.”
Ofcom’s findings have underscored the pervasive, severe, and normalized nature of online abuse, which includes racist and threatening messages directed at athletes, commentators, and other public figures. Many participants reported that this abuse is frequently unrelenting, highly visible, and challenging to manage. Such experiences can lead to anxiety regarding personal and family safety and may even result in individuals withdrawing from public life, adversely affecting their mental and physical well-being.
The letter also highlighted that FIFA’s research identified the quarter-final match between France and England as the point of highest abuse against players during the 2022 men’s World Cup. This follows the online vitriol directed at Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, and Jadon Sancho after England’s penalty shootout loss to Italy in 2021. In a notable case, a man received a suspended prison sentence in March after being found guilty of sending “malicious communications” to Jess Carter during the women’s Euros in 2025.
Ofcom stated it will observe how social media companies manage abuse on their platforms through a “live compliance programme” and will collaborate with other important stakeholders, including the Football Association and the UK Football Policing Unit.
The Online Safety Act mandates that social media companies implement various measures to protect their users. A key requirement is for all platforms to have a well-resourced content management team capable of swiftly removing illegal content. Additionally, they must provide an “easy and accessible” complaints system, tools that allow users to disable comments, and designate a responsible individual for ensuring compliance with the regulations.
As the independent regulator for online safety, Ofcom was empowered by the Online Safety Act, which came into effect in 2023. Under this legislation, Ofcom can impose fines of up to £18 million or up to 10% of a company’s global revenue for failure to act against illegal content.
