The Premier League is in discussions with the NBA with the aim of forming an alliance to combat online abuse.
Racial abuse on social media has been the pervasive talking point of the 2020 – 2021 season. Earlier this month, all Premier League clubs took part in a social media boycott to highlight the issue.
While the likes of Twitter and Instagram claim to be doing all they can to stop it, players are still subject to a torrent of abuse on a daily basis.
It’s not an easy problem to solve. Banning and prosecuting online trolls sets a potentially uncomfortable precedent for the future. Particularly in certain regions that practice censorship and limit citizens access to information.
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One thing is certain, it does need to be solved. This is why the PFA (Professional Footballers Association) has approached the NBA.
The NBA has become the professional sports league with the most coherent strategy to tackle social issues over the last 18 months. Players like LeBron James, who are some of the most visible athletes in the world, are the most outspoken.
LeBron James has been involved with the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as his own personal drive to register black voters prior to the U.S general election.
A coalition between the PFA and the NBA would be a more powerful prospect. Pertinently, it would be much more difficult to ignore. The groundswell of support and coverage it would receive would make sure the issue of abuse wouldn’t get swept under the carpet.
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According to the Daily Mail, the NFL could also be involved. While not the most progressive league in the world, it’s sheer popularity would only add to the cause.
There is promise in software called Respondology, which was introduced to the Premier League by the PFA. The technology hides abusive messages so that the recipients don’t see it. Crucially, it doesn’t delete it, meaning that the abusers can be identified and potentially prosecuted.
