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Racist Abuse on Social Media
14 July 2021
Lead MP
Victoria Atkins
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
Crime & Law EnforcementScience & Technology
Other Contributors: 31
At a Glance
Victoria Atkins raised concerns about racist abuse on social media in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
The Minister praised the England football team for their success in the tournament, highlighting that racism online has overshadowed their achievements. She mentioned the Government's condemnation of racism both online and offline and highlighted existing robust legislation against such offences. The introduction of the Online Safety Bill is expected to tackle illegal and legal but harmful abuse including racist content. Major platforms could face enforcement action if they do not meet safety standards set by the Bill. The Minister also noted a Law Commission review into hate crime, which includes offensive online communications. She cited statistics on race hate crimes in 2019-20 (76,000 cases) and emphasised that such figures represent real victims and community impacts.
Torfaen
Question
The shadow minister criticised the Home Secretary's lack of urgency and understanding regarding recent racism incidents. He questioned the government’s delay in bringing forward the online harms Bill despite recognising its importance, suggesting it would not address current issues due to self-regulation by social media companies.
Minister reply
Victoria Atkins defended the Home Secretary's actions, stating that she is meeting with charities and survivors of violence against women. The Minister affirmed the Government’s commitment to ensuring social media companies take stronger stances on racism, child sex exploitation, terrorism, and other offences. She noted that the online safety Bill will undergo pre-legislative scrutiny for careful drafting and will ensure illegal acts offline are treated similarly online.
Question
The MP highlighted instances of racist abuse against England football players reported by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate, noting that only a small number were removed. He questioned whether warm words from social media companies would translate to action and asked when the online safety Bill will be brought forward.
Minister reply
Victoria Atkins acknowledged the issue but emphasised that social media companies do not need to wait for legislation to apply their own rules against offensive content. She stressed the importance of international collaboration in tackling these challenges, noting ongoing work with principles on terrorism and child sexual exploitation.
Stuart McDonald
SNP
Glasgow South
Question
The disgusting online racism faced by England players is unfortunately overshadowing a fantastic tournament and performance. We urgently need stronger online regulation, faster content removal, identification and punishment of racists, and more serious tackling of racism including structural and institutional racism. Does the Minister agree?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question and acknowledge that tackling hate speech and crimes is a priority. The Government are working on updating laws through the Law Commission to ensure they meet modern expectations. However, it's important to reflect positively on public response to such incidents.
Marco Longhi
Con
Telford
Question
Does the Minister agree that fighting racism online and in any form is a priority for her and the Government? Does she also agree that understanding racism fully and taking meaningful action are crucial?
Minister reply
Very much so. The Home Secretary has been targeted by trolls, as have other MPs, particularly women of colour. We need to show support for anti-racism campaigns and ensure we do everything possible both individually and collectively to tackle racist behaviour.
Yvette Cooper
Lab
Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley
Question
On Instagram profiles of England heroes, there are still racist posts up for more than 24 hours. Can the Minister tell me what the Online Safety Bill is going to do to take action on this speed issue and penalise companies for not moving fast enough?
Minister reply
I agree with the right hon. Lady. Words like those she refers to are unacceptable in any civilised society, including online. The Bill provides an opportunity for the Government to lay down laws but also requires tech companies to listen carefully to Members of Parliament.
Felicity Buchan
Con
Christchurch
Question
As someone who represents a diverse constituency, may I put on record how abhorrent racism is? Does my hon. Friend agree that many online trolls hide behind anonymity and can the police still prosecute anonymous postings?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend raises an important point but it requires careful consideration by this House. While many use anonymity illegitimately, some do so legitimately for reasons like domestic abuse or whistleblowing in restrictive regimes overseas.
Zarah Sultana
Lab
Coventry South
Question
The Minister gave the usual Tory platitudes but did not condemn the Prime Minister's past racist comments. Is it not the case that the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister were stoking racism by their inaction?
Minister reply
I hope we can work together to tackle racism without shouting across the Dispatch Box. Tackling racism requires a collective approach rather than accusatory rhetoric.
Damian Collins
Con
Hereford and South Herefordshire
Question
Does my hon. Friend agree that recent incidents of racism show why an independent regulator for social media companies is necessary? These companies have failed to take down abuse, even when it's against their policies.
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is right; the Online Safety Bill proposes fines up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying annual turnover to hold companies accountable and ensure better social media access in a positive and healthy manner.
Jeremy Corbyn
Ind
Islington North
Question
The Government have refused action towards ending social media discrimination, fanning flames of divisiveness and hate. Black women are 84% more likely to experience racist abuse online than anyone else. What steps will the Minister take urgently?
Minister reply
I feel astonished asking that question from this right hon. Member who has a history with the Equalities and Human Rights Commission finding Labour 'unlawfully discriminated against, harassed or victimised people because they are Jewish'. I will work with pretty much anyone but take a long spoon with him.
Caroline Nokes
Con
Romsey and Southampton North
Question
It is popular to blame mutant algorithms for many things, but social media giants could use them quickly and effectively to shut down accounts that are spouting racist bile. Will my hon. Friend assure me that the Government are prepared to take action against platforms such as Instagram, which have been painfully slow to respond to the horrific racist abuse targeted at black players since Sunday?
Minister reply
My right hon. Friend alights on an important point. This power is already within the reach of internet companies. Those companies seem to think that their community rules somehow take precedence over the laws of our country, and I imagine that is the same across other countries in the world. The message to those tech companies is this: please listen to the public’s outrage at some of the posts festering on your platforms, and deal with them.
Question
The racist abuse targeted at black footballers has been absolutely abhorrent. The tech giants could have stopped it, but they chose not to because it suits their business model. In October 2020, Mark Zuckerberg decided, literally on a whim, to remove holocaust denial from his Facebook, and he did that. Does the Minister agree that it is not the powers or the capability of the tech giants that is lacking, but the will?
Minister reply
I am extremely grateful to the right hon. Lady and mindful of her own experiences with abuse, online and offline. I agree that of course these powers exist already, so one can only conclude that in the cases highlighted in this Chamber and in newspapers, the businesses concerned do not wish to remove those items; I have no doubt that if I am wrong, they will correct me.
Question
The abuse that we saw after England’s heroic final Euro game is beyond disgusting and has no place in any world, let alone the modern world. I know that my hon. Friend will agree that it is not beyond the ingenuity of social media platforms to deploy their vast coding expertise to develop artificial intelligence and algorithmic solutions to rapidly remove disgusting, abusive racist posts while still being able to protect appropriate freedom of speech.
Minister reply
Very much so. My challenge to these tech companies is, “Look: you have some of the brightest brains in the world. You recruit from the top universities. You pay—I imagine—handsomely. Use those brilliant brains to do some good and to stop this abuse on your platforms.”
Wera Hobhouse
Lib Dem
Bath
Question
The whole England team have been remarkable in opposing racism and championing justice and equality for all. Sadly, they have not had the full support of this Government. It is up to all of us with a public platform, including the Home Secretary, to personally confront racism in all its forms and give our full support to those who are working against it.
Minister reply
I do not know whether the hon. Lady was in the Chamber at the beginning of this urgent question when I explained that the Home Secretary is hosting a meeting—a long-standing meeting—with charities that work with survivors of violence against women and girls.
Question
I believe this great and united nation is one of the most tolerant and anti-discrimination nations I know, and that what we have witnessed is orchestrated hate crime by the minority and trolls. Does the Minister agree that we need tougher punishments for racially driven violence, intimidation and abuse on social media?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend has worked assiduously not just on online hatred directed on racist grounds, but on other categories of people affected on social media, including women. I hope she will work tirelessly with the Government on our forthcoming Online Safety Bill to ensure not only that these companies do what they should do and clear out their own backyard.
Newcastle upon Tyne North
Question
Minister, we live in an era when online abuse is becoming normalised. The disgusting comments directed at our footballers on social media have in many cases been illegal, and the perpetrators must be brought to justice. But in other cases the abuse has been technically legal, yet remains extremely harmful and distressing.
Minister reply
Yes, I am very happy to confirm that of course we are looking at legal but harmful material. Let me draw the House’s attention to the fact that the Online Safety Bill is a really significant piece of legislation but there will be other vehicles for legislating on these sorts of crimes.
Question
Since Sunday’s final, everyone I have spoken to in my constituency, everywhere I have been, has expressed nothing but pride in our England team. Racist abuse online has inspired an outpouring of support and solidarity.
Minister reply
I completely agree with my hon. Friend, and I am delighted to hear that the football team have received such support in her constituency—I suspect that that is the experience of us all.
Question
Show Racism the Red Card does fantastic work in tackling racist abuse, online and elsewhere, but the Home Office, in its wisdom, cut its funding to zero 18 months ago.
Minister reply
I am very happy to do that. I should point out that a huge programme of work continues, including the online crime hub run by the police, which we help to fund.
Luke Evans
Con
Hinckley and Bosworth
Question
Sunday night should have been a celebration of achievement. Instead, we woke up the next morning with racism aimed at three men simply doing their job.
Minister reply
I most certainly do agree. In fairness, as the House would expect, I should say that we do a lot of work with online companies across a great range of subjects.
Andrew Gwynne
Ind
Gorton and Denton
Question
Racist abuse online is not just abhorrent; it normalises racist views offline and desensitises people to them. I welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to extending football banning orders to cover online abuse, for which Labour has been calling for some time. Given the urgency, when and how will that happen?
Minister reply
I do not have a timeframe to hand, but I will happily write to the hon. Gentleman on that.
Question
We all know that social media companies have the tools and powers to prevent online hate, yet it is still happening day in, day out. The incidents following Sunday evening have shone a light on this disgusting abuse. If social media companies will not act on their own, what actions will the Government take to ensure that finally we put a full stop to online hate?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend has identified the opportunity for the Government, and indeed the House, in the Online Safety Bill.
Florence Eshalomi
Lab Co-op
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
Question
I want every young black and minority ethnic person watching today to know that they have a place in this society and they can reach the height that I did from a council estate in Brixton. Social media companies need to take a lot more action, but, until they feel the full weight of the law, they will not understand that. Will the Minister confirm whether the Government will introduce criminal sanctions against social media executives in the Online Harms Bill?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Lady for her comments; she spoke with such passion.
Damian Hinds
Con
East Hampshire
Question
If someone is communicating online in their own identity, should they not be able to say that they want to hear from and be commented on only by other people who are using their own identity? Will the Government please look at that again in the Online Safety Bill?
Minister reply
That is an extremely interesting point, and I promise I will look into it.
Dwyfor Meirionnydd
Question
I have a specific question: will the Online Safety Bill provide clarity on what constitutes illegal racist hate speech against groups of people as well as offences against individuals?
Minister reply
The hon. Lady knows that we have asked the Law Commission to look into the laws relating to malicious online communications.
Question
Much of the online racist abuse against England’s footballers is thought to have originated from overseas social media accounts. What steps are she and her Department taking with counterparts in other countries to ensure that there is a concerted international effort to stamp out these appalling attacks so that there is no hiding place?
Minister reply
I hope he will be reassured by the fact that we are looking into this with some urgency.
Gregory Campbell
DUP
East Londonderry
Question
On the online safety Bill, will the Minister reassert, as she has said several times, that if the providers do not act, they will suffer grievous financial hardship and we will hit them where it hurts, in their corporate pockets?
Minister reply
I am pleased to join the hon. Gentleman’s support for Northern Ireland.
Question
Does she agree that the single biggest cause of divisiveness is the lack of tolerance and respect from both sides of the argument, equally? It does not matter whether someone chooses to take the knee. What matters is that they have tolerance and respect for those who choose to and, equally, for those who choose not to.
Minister reply
My hon. Friend has defined what it is to live in a free country.
Janet Daby
Lab
Lewisham East
Question
We all know that racist abuse is not confined to social media. On 3 July, The Sunday Times ran an article stating that Raheem Sterling’s success in the Euros was being celebrated on the “violent Jamaica streets” where he grew up. Will the Minister today condemn the disgusting attitudes that have been propelled by the tabloids and broadsheets for decades?
Minister reply
I have not seen that report, but my memory of Raheem Sterling is the story he told of growing up in the shadow of the Wembley arch.
Richard Holden
Con
Basildon and Billericay
Question
Does the Minister agree that this should be a matter where both sides of the House and all parties come together to ensure we put an end to racist abuse once and for all? Will she highlight how, through the online safety Bill, this will actually happen?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. By working together, we are so much stronger. Today we have seen that there is great unity of intent and will across the House to ensure that those who express racist views are held to account and brought to justice, and that each part of society plays its part, including online companies.
Olivia Blake
Lab
Sheffield Hallam
Question
Does the Minister think her colleagues’ refusal to condemn the booing of players for taking the knee, their dismissal of taking the knee as “gesture politics”, No. 10’s denial of institutional racism in the UK or the Government’s three-year delay to legislation that would crack down on online abuse could have given space to a culture or hostile environment that sees the racist abuse of England players as acceptable? Does the Minister regret that denial of the problem and the failure to act?
Minister reply
I am going to temper the hon. Lady’s remarks with some facts. The Home Secretary did not say that she supported football fans booing England players for taking the knee. The Prime Minister was clear in saying that the public should be cheering our team, not booing them. We have to be very careful with how we handle the facts; we are presenting our plans for the future to help to eradicate racism and our plans for taming the internet, and that is how we will achieve things.
Question
I draw the Minister’s attention to the paradox identified by Sunder Katwala, the director of British Future: there are far fewer overt racists in Britain today than there were 20 or 30 years ago, which is a very good thing, and there are far fewer racist attitudes in Britain, but because of social media and the fact that everyone is always online, individuals from black and ethnic minority communities experience far more racism on a day-to-day basis than they did then. That is why fixing this needs to be a public policy priority and why people at Twitter and Facebook need to step up. They need to stop people who are banned opening new accounts, and they need to address the algorithms that promote that material, and in that way we can rebuild community cohesion.
Minister reply
We all acknowledge the echo chamber that social media provides, and the fact that being available online across the world perhaps enables just a single person to have far more volume added to their voice than would be the case if they were known, as they usually are, to be sitting in their bedroom rather pathetically tapping away on their laptop or phone. We must build resilience among our young people in schools to understand that torrents of abuse like this may represent only a tiny number of people, and very much build on education and the cultural attitudes that we are seeking to address through relationships, health and sex education in schools to ensure that people understand the principles of tolerance and kindness in being able to debate without hatred.
Shadow Comment
Nick Thomas-Symonds
Shadow Comment
The shadow minister criticised the Government for lacking urgency in addressing online racism and failing to condemn those who booed the England team while they took a knee against racism. He highlighted that social media platforms have had sufficient time to act but are falling short of expectations. The current proposal for criminal sanctions is insufficient, he argued, suggesting stronger measures should be included in the Bill. Thomas-Symonds also requested details on when football banning orders would extend to online offences as promised by the Prime Minister.
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