Racist abuse directed at England footballers on social media was amplified during the World Cup by platform algorithms designed to maximise user engagement and advertising profit, according to new research. The study argues that recommendation systems on major social networks helped such abusive content spread further and faster than it otherwise would have.
How did algorithms contribute to the spread of abuse?
The research suggests that social media platforms prioritise content likely to provoke strong reactions, including anger and outrage, because it keeps users engaged for longer and generates more advertising revenue. Researchers say this business model meant racist posts aimed at England players were pushed further into users’ feeds rather than being suppressed, effectively giving the abuse a wider audience than a neutral, chronological feed would have allowed.
Platforms are built to maximise attention, and hateful content often performs well under that measure, the report suggests.
What does this mean for football and social media platforms?
The findings add to long-running criticism of how social media companies handle racist abuse in football, an issue that has repeatedly surfaced around major tournaments involving England’s national team. Campaigners and researchers behind the report are calling for platforms to reassess how their algorithms weigh engagement against harm, warning that without changes, players will continue to face amplified waves of racist abuse during high-profile competitions.
The report adds pressure on regulators and social media companies to demonstrate that safety tools and content moderation policies are effective, rather than allowing engagement-driven algorithms to inadvertently reward abusive posts with greater visibility.
