Newcastle United to take part in social media blackout as English football switches off Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts

Newcastle United are set to take part in a social media blackout.
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The FA, Premier League EFL, FA Women’s Super League, FA Women’s Championship, PFA, LMA, PGMOL, Kick It Out and the FSA have united for a social media boycott from 15.00 this Friday 30 April to 23.59 on Monday 3 May.

The move comes in response to the ongoing and sustained discriminatory abuse received online by players and many others connected to football.

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The blackout has been scheduled to take place across a full fixture programme in the men’s and women’s professional game and will see clubs across the Premier League, EFL, WSL and Women’s Championship switch off their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

=A general view of the white and blue Nike Flight match ball.=A general view of the white and blue Nike Flight match ball.
=A general view of the white and blue Nike Flight match ball.

The joint statement acknowledged that boycott in isolation will not eradicate discriminatory abuse fully but will demonstrate that the game is willing to take voluntary and proactive steps in this continued fight.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “Racist behaviour of any form is unacceptable and the appalling abuse we are seeing players receive on social media platforms cannot be allowed to continue.

“The Premier League and our clubs stand alongside football in staging this boycott to highlight the urgent need for social media companies to do more in eliminating racial hatred. We will not stop challenging social media companies and want to see significant improvements in their policies and processes to tackle online discriminatory abuse on their platforms.

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“Football is a diverse sport, which brings together communities and cultures from all backgrounds and this diversity makes the competition stronger. No Room For Racism represents all the work we do to promote equality, diversity and inclusion and tackling discrimination.”

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