Racist abuse against England players amplified by algorithms during World Cup

Research by Hope Not Hate reveals that racist abuse directed at England footballers on social media was intensified during the ongoing 2026 World Cup. An analysis of over 300,000 posts on the platform X (formerly Twitter) identified more than 5,500 racist messages targeting players like Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, and Kobbie Mainoo. The findings suggest X's algorithms promote such toxic content to maximize user engagement and, by extension, advertising revenue. Activists are calling for action from regulators and the platform to address this ongoing issue, emphasizing that current measures do not effectively prevent the amplification of abusive content.

• 11:02 PMBBC Sport — Algorithms amplified World Cup racism, says report