Former Arsenal and Barcelona striker Thierry Henry has announced that he is leaving social media to protest against what he says is a failure to combat racism and bullying across various platforms.
The 43-year-old says the problem is “too toxic to ignore” and is not dealt with “with the same vigor and brutality” to deal with racism and abuse unless copyright infringements occur.
Henry has a large social media presence with 2.3 million on Instagram and 2.3 million on Twitter, while his official Facebook page has 10 million followers.
What did henry say?
In a statement posted on their different social media platforms, Henry said: “Since yesterday [Saturday] In the morning I will keep removing myself from social media until the people in power are able to control their platforms with the same vigor and speed that they currently do when you infringe on copyright.
“The sheer segment of racism, bullying and mental torture of people is too toxic to ignore. There must be some accountability. It is far easier to create an account, use it to bully and harass without consequence and is still anonymous.
“Until this changes, I will disable my accounts on all social platforms. I hope it will happen soon.”
The bigger picture
Racism and abuse is a growing problem in online football, with players facing abuse from individuals who often hide behind anonymous accounts.
Marcus Rashford, Fred, Jude Bellingham, Antonio Rudiger and Reece James are some of the players who have been misused on social media in recent months.
In January, a 49-year-old man was sent a racist message to West Brom midfielder Romine Serie following his side’s defeat in Manchester City.
In another case, teenager Patrick O’Brien was found to have racially abused former Arsenal player Ian Wright Via direct messages on instagram After losing a game of FIFA.
What is being done to deal with the problem?
Instagram announced last month that The company is taking “hard action” Individuals who break social media platform rules on hate speech and promise cooperation with UK law enforcement.
On the pitch, players have knelt before the game in England since it resumed in June of last year in symbolic defiance of racism and prejudice. The act was popularized by NFL player Coleen Kaepernick, who knelt during the United States national anthem to protest police brutality.
However, there has been some opposition to the gesture, with some suggesting it is meaningless without actual action to back it up.
Brentford, Bournemouth and QPR are among the sides that no longer kneel, with QR’s football director Les Ferdinand “thinning out”, assuming the impact of the gesture.
Earlier this month, Crystal Palace became forward Wilfried Zaha First Premier League player to stop kneelingInstead, standing to silence before the Eagles’ game against West Brom on 13 March.
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