England Football Player Bukayo Saka Says Social Platforms Must Tackle Racism

(Bloomberg) -- England soccer star Bukayo Saka criticized Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for not doing enough to prevent the posting of racist messages on their platforms.

The 19-year-old said he “knew instantly the kind of hate that I was about to receive” on social media after missing a penalty in the final of the UEFA European Football Championship on Sunday.

“Your powerful platforms are not doing enough to stop these messages,” he wrote, adding he didn’t want any child or adult to receive similar messages.

Saka, alongside teammates Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, received racist abuse online after missing their kicks. There had also been controversy after England fans booed the team taking a knee before the start of games as part of an anti-racism stance.

Read More: Social Media Fails to Curb Racist Emojis Aimed at Soccer Stars

Earlier this week, Tyrone Mings, a defender who plays for Premier League club Aston Villa, said Home Secretary Priti Patel had aggravated tensions by refusing to support players’ kneeling. Patel had called it “gesture politics” last month.

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