Rangers announce week-long social media boycott to tackle abuse
- Published
Rangers fans leave a banner at the club's training ground in support of Glen Kamara and Kemar Roofe
Rangers have announced their players and staff will boycott social media for a week due to concerns about how platforms deal with racist abuse.
The club say they want to underline "a lack of accountability and responsibility" from social media outlets.
Midfielder Glen Kamara and strikers Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe have been targeted with racist abuse online.
The boycott begins at 19:00 BST on Thursday.
"Having spoken to a wide range of clubs across the United Kingdom, we know these concerns are shared by all clubs and it is fair to say everyone is losing patience with the lack of action from social media companies," said Rangers' managing director Stewart Robertson.
"Rangers' hope is that clear and direct action is taken from social media platforms. The basic verification of users, as part of the sign-up process, to any social media platform, will ensure that users are both identifiable and accountable for their actions and words."
Rangers have arranged to meet Facebook and Instagram in order to raise their concerns, and Robertson added that government must step in and legislate if social media companies do not force users to verify their identity.
Kamara told ITV News on Wednesday that he suffers racist abuse online "every day", having also been the subject of an alleged racist remark by Slavia Prague's Ondrej Kudela in the second leg of a Europa League last-16 tie.
Earlier on Thursday, English Championship club Swansea City also announced a week-long boycott of social media.
"As a club, we will continue to consider all options which increase pressure on social media platforms until they begin working proactively in the interests of wider society," Robertson added.