Is it illegal to make racist comments on Twitter?
SOCIAL media giant Twitter has faced calls for more tools to tackle and block abusive messages with stricter censure of users who abuse others.
It follows a number of shocking incidents of abuse online – including those levelled at three England players following the Euro 2020 final.
Is it illegal to make racist comments on Twitter?
Offences committed on Twitter appear to remain a grey area with policy appearing to vary on a case by case basis in the UK.
Lawyers say there are lots of pieces of UK legislation that can be used to prosecute someone who has fallen foul of the law in the online arena, but stress that they must be applied correctly.
So far, over the course of the last decade, there have been numerous examples of people being charged and given jail time specifically for racist comments and abuse made online.
In 2019, for example, a 32-year-old year man from Liverpool was sentenced for posting racist tweets about Liverpool FC player Mohamed Salah.
Having pleaded guilty to racially/religiously aggravated intentional harassment, he was given six-week jail time - suspended for 12 months.
On their official website Twitter - in response to calls made by lawyers who cite the potential problem posed by “criminalising free speech” – state: “We believe that everyone has a voice, and the right to use it. “
“Our role is to serve the public conversation, which requires representation of a diverse range of perspectives. “
It confirms that policy dictates that every individual has the right to free speech but not a right to freedom from the consequences of what they say.
What is Twitter doing about racial abuse on the platform?
Twitter’s hateful content policy currently outlines the measures they take as an organisation to combat abuse and discrimination of all kinds.
It states: “You may not promote violence against or directly attack or threaten other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease.
“We also do not allow accounts whose primary purpose is inciting harm towards others on the basis of these categories.
“You may not use hateful images or symbols in your profile image or profile header.
"You also may not use your username, display name, or profile bio to engage in abusive behavior, such as targeted harassment or expressing hate towards a person, group, or protected category."
They conclude: “We are committed to combating abuse motivated by hatred, prejudice or intolerance, particularly abuse that seeks to silence the voices of those who have been historically marginalized.
“For this reason, we prohibit behaviour that targets individuals with abuse based on protected category.”
How can I report racist comments on Twitter?
Twitter’s official website suggests that if you see something on the platform that you believe violates their hateful conduct policy, you should report it via the link provided on their website.
Once submitted you will see a confirmation message alerting that they have received your report and your submission will be reviewed.
A full step by step guide to submitting a review can be found
What is the petition to ban racists from football games?
Following the abhorrent online abuse aimed at footballers Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, a petition has been set up to ban racists from football games for life.
It comes as the three black England players missed crucial penalties in a shootout against Italy in Sunday's Euro 2020 final.
The petition, entitled "Ban racists for life from all football matches in England", was set up by anti-racism campaigner Shaista Aziz and her friends under the name of the Three Hijabis.
As of 11pm on Tuesday, July 13 the petition was just shy of its target of 1,000,000 signatures - with the total increasing rapidly.
It says: “As multi-racial football fans, we finally feel represented by this anti-racist and inclusive England team.
“We could not be more proud or inspired by our magnificent team and by their talent, bravery, leadership and love for all.
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“Gareth Southgate's England team plays for ALL of us.
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"Their vision is an inclusive vision and this matters more than EVER – it's why we feel proud of this team and why they're so cherished and loved by many of us.
“There should be no room for racists and bigotry in football or society.”