Oldham MP backs calls by Thierry Henry and Lucy Bronze to stop anonymous online abuse

Debbie Abrahams MP talking to Thierry Henry about the online abuse he has experienced.

Debbie Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, has backed calls from football stars in the debate around online abuse, demanding the Government act to limit the reach and power of anonymous accounts.
 
Debbie spoke to former Arsenal and French striker Thierry Henry and Manchester City and England’s Lucy Bronze, at a virtual event in Parliament for MPs and Peers to discuss the issue of online discriminatory abuse.
 
Ms Abrahams MP, speaking as the co-chair of the All-Party Group for Compassionate Politics, said: “Anonymous abuse is ruining lives and wrecking our democracy.
 
“For that reason, and like so many MPs, I was deeply disappointed that the Government’s draft Online Safety Bill makes no reference to curtailing the number or reach of anonymous accounts.
 
“This is despite the fact that anonymous accounts are the source of most of the violently abusive, factually inaccurate, and outright illegal material online. It is despite the fact that public figures like Thierry and Lucy have told us time and again that most of the abuse they receive comes from anonymous accounts.
 
“An Online Safety Bill that fails to deal with anonymity will not be worthy of the name.  
 
“That is why I will be working with my colleagues across the House to ensure that, in its final form, this bill legislates for a twin-track verification system on social media.
 
“We must give users the power to filter out abusive content. We must end the spread of misinformation at source. We must stop the hate.”  
 
Henry recounted the often racist abuse he has been subjected to online which led him to quit social media entirely in March this year.
 
The former striker said that the problem of abuse being directed against footballers is widespread and that many footballers at all levels of the game, and their families, suffer from mental health issues as a result.  
 
He added: “On social media platforms it seems you can say whatever you want and there are no real consequences. This needs to change and people need to be held accountable.
 
"There is attention on this topic, but we still have some way to go. I don’t want my kids to go through abuse, my family, friends or indeed anyone to experience any kind of online abuse.”  

 
He was joined at the roundtable by Lucy Bronze who described the huge quantity of sexist abuse she has received online.
 
Lucy said: “Every day of my life I experience sexism on social media, and I play with a lot of players who experience all types of online abuse. I’m aware of victims who have been blocked from reporting their experiences to social media platforms, if they reach a limit on reporting. Right now, we punish the victim but not the abusers. There has to be a way to hold people accountable and it’s time something was done. That's why it was so important for me to take part in the event today and share my experiences, so that change can happen quickly.”
 
Edleen John from the FA said: “Online abuse has a lasting psychological impact not just on those who receive it, but on their friends and family too. In our discussion, with Thierry and Lucy, we heard first-hand about the need for change and the current failings of social media organisations. These two household names shared the current onus on victims, whereas abusers can operate within a culture of impunity and without real-world consequences. This has to stop and social media companies have a moral obligation to do more to tackle this endemic issue.
 
"We welcome this open dialogue with parliamentarians and want to continue to work with them to ensure that that there is support for a strong Online Safety Bill which effectively tackles the key issues at hand. We also urge social media companies to act now as oppose to waiting for that legislation.”  
 
Polling by Opinium for Compassion in Politics found that interventions to tackle anonymous accounts are widely supported. 81% said they would be willing to provide a piece of personal ID to gain a verified account, if that meant reducing the number of unverified profiles. 72% also said they would choose to filter out all anonymous accounts if they had the option to do so.

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