Algorithms amplified World Cup racism, says report
Racist abuse aimed at England footballers on social media was amplified during the World Cup by algorithms designed to maximise engagement and profit, according to new research.
A new report highlights how algorithms on social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), amplified racist abuse directed at England footballers during the 2026 World Cup. Activist group Hope Not Hate examined over 300,000 posts on X and found more than 5,500 explicitly racist posts targeting England players. The group argues that X's recommender algorithm pushed toxic content into millions of feeds, as posts that provoke anger and outrage generate more interaction and can drive advertising revenue.
The most targeted player was Jude Bellingham, with Bukayo Saka and Kobbie Mainoo experiencing the highest proportion of racism relative to the total number of posts mentioning them. Djed Spence, who recently converted to Islam, also faced significant anti-Muslim abuse. Researchers found that abusive content was often amplified through replies to high-profile posts.
While platforms can suspend accounts and users can report messages, Hope Not Hate argues that these measures do not address how abusive content is amplified in the first place. The group suggests that social media companies could downrank posts with large volumes of abuse to reduce their visibility. Hope Not Hate has also called on the UK's media regulator, Ofcom, to use its powers under the Online Safety Act more effectively to address predictable spikes in hate and designate major sporting events as "high risk."
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