Joint statement on the Royal Assent of the Online Safety Act

Kick It Out, The FA, Premier League, EFL and PFA have been working with Government to ensure Online Safety Act tackles racist and other discriminatory abuse

"Kick It Out, The FA, Premier League, English Football League and the PFA have been working closely with the Government and parliamentarians to ensure that the Online Safety Act (OSA) effectively tackles racist and other discriminatory abuse online and better protects users on social media platforms.

"Online abuse in football has risen significantly in recent years, but new laws passed by the Government should offer some hope to all those who participate in football. Change will take time, but it’s a big step in the right direction to make everyone in football feel safer online.

"We still need to ensure that law enforcement tackles perpetrators of online abuse and we urge the Government to ensure that the independent regulator, Ofcom, has sufficient powers to hold social media companies to account. In time, the OSA will introduce new tools to help users avoid discriminatory abuse. But social media companies don’t need to wait. They can introduce better tools right now so that users are free from unwanted and damaging discrimination."

See: Premier League commitment to tackling discrimination

The Premier League remains committed to tackling all forms of discrimination as part of our No Room For Racism Action Plan, which aims to ensure that football is an inclusive environment for all.

Ways in which the League is tackling discrimination includes the implementation of an online abuse reporting system to support players, managers, coaches and their family members who receive serious discriminatory online abuse.

This includes the League reviewing each case and reporting it to the relevant social media company, before an investigation and legal action is taken where appropriate.

See: How the Premier League supports safety online

The League implemented new enhanced anti-discrimination measures from the 2021/22 season as the League and its clubs continue to work together to make it clear any form of discriminatory behaviour is unacceptable in football and wider society. Clubs agreed to enforce new League-wide punishments, including bans, for any individual found to have behaved in a discriminatory or abusive way towards any club employee, player, match official, matchday steward or fan attending a Premier League match. This covers behaviour conducted in-person or online.

If you see online abuse directed at players, managers, coaches, match officials and their families, you can report it to the Premier League, here.

EFL and EFL Clubs ‘Together Against Racism’ in fight against discrimination

The EFL has today launched its ‘Together Against Racism’ initiative which renews appeals to football supporters to report any incidents of racism and discrimination they see or hear in stadiums and online.

Clubs will also showcase the work that is being undertaken up and down the country to promote inclusion and make Clubs representative of the communities in which they are located.

With support from anti-discrimination charity, Kick It Out, the campaign sees a focused drive from the EFL and its Clubs to combat racism and all forms of discrimination in football.

Across four weekends in October, every EFL Club will run a ‘Together Against Racism’ matchday reminding fans how they can report abuse, so that football and law enforcement authorities can ensure that there are consequences for abusers, while victims get the support they need.

Tackling discriminatory abuse is a key part of the football-wide Love Football Protect the Game initiative which aims to combat all dangerous and illegal behaviour at football grounds across the country.

Building on English football’s shared commitment on equality, discrimination and inclusion, ‘Together Against Racism’ will run concurrently alongside the Premier League’s ‘No Room for Racism’ and the FA’s ‘Enough is Enough’ campaigns throughout October, highlighting the collective approach that is being taken at all levels of the game.

Trevor Birch, Chief Executive of the the EFL, said:

“Football has a platform to effect positive change across society, so we are proud to be collaborating with partners across the game to ensure a welcoming environment for everyone.

“Our clubs are working hard to stamp out unwelcome behaviour from football and via the many measures the game has introduced in recent years we will continue to support them as we look to make the EFL truly representative of the communities we represent.”

The Together Against Racism campaign launch has been supported by former Reading midfielder and Jamaican international Jobi McAnuff who narrated a video on how to report discrimination.

The RFEF launches a campaign to raise awareness against racism and establishes different actions in matches under its jurisdiction

EFL and football authorities welcome landmark online safety law

English football welcomed the Online Safety Act receiving Royal Assent today in Parliament

Kick It Out, the Football Association, Premier League, English Football League and the PFA have been working closely with the Government and parliamentarians to ensure that the Online Safety Act (OSA) effectively tackles racist and other discriminatory abuse online and better protects users on social media platforms.

Online abuse in football has risen significantly in recent years, but new laws passed by the Government should offer some hope to all those who participate in football. Change will take time, but it’s a big step in the right direction to make everyone in football feel safer online.

We still need to ensure that law enforcement tackles perpetrators of online abuse and we urge the Government to ensure that the independent regulator, Ofcom, has sufficient powers to hold social media companies to account. In time, the OSA will introduce new tools to help users avoid discriminatory abuse. But social media companies don’t need to wait. They can introduce better tools right now so that users are free from unwanted and damaging discrimination.