LTA to take part in social media boycott
• 3 MINUTE READ
The LTA stands with the football community in taking part in a social media boycott from 15:00 BST on Friday 30 April to 23:59 BST on Monday 3 May.
Nobody should have to suffer abuse, racism or harassment on social media because they play or are involved in a professional sport.
British and international tennis players frequently suffer abuse online, simply for losing a match or even a point. This abuse is often especially targeted at female players.
LTA CEO Scott Lloyd said: "We believe that social media companies can and should do more. They have a responsibility to their users to ensure that their platforms are not used as tools to abuse players, officials, the media or others involved in the sport.
"Social media can bring fans and players closer together than ever before and can enhance the understanding and joy of sport to a worldwide audience. However, the price for this improved ability to connect and engage should not be having to turn a blind eye to abuse. We look to the social media companies to take a lead on this issue."
Why are we boycotting social media?
We want to demonstrate our collective anger at the constant abuse on social media received by professional athletes, as well as others across the world, which goes without any real-world consequences for perpetrators.
We know that a boycott alone with not eradicate the scourge of online discriminatory abuse, which is why we will continue to take proactive steps to call for change. We will not stop challenging social media companies until we see enough progress.
What change do we want to see?
- We are asking for significant action from social media companies, including:
- Apply preventative filtering and blocking measures to stop discriminatory abuse being sent or seen
- Be accountable for safety on platforms and protect users by implementing effective verification
- Ensure real-life consequences for online discriminatory abuse: ban perpetrators, stop account re-registration and support law enforcement
- A warning message to be displayed if a user writes an abusive message and need to enter personal data if they wish to send the message
- Platforms to have robust, reliable and quick measures in place if abusive material is sent or posted
- Transparent quarterly reports on the work social media companies are doing, internally and externally, to eradicate abuse on their platforms
How can you help?
By reporting online abuse, you can help stop the behaviour and protect other people from seeing the abusive content. Online abuse does not have to be experienced directly by someone in order for that person to report. Everyone has a responsibility to report online hate they see.
You can report posts to the respective social media channels by using the following links: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok | Snapchat | YouTube
If you have experienced or witnessed discrimination on social media you can also make your local police force aware by filing a report here.
