Algorithms amplified World Cup racism, says report

A new report reveals that racist abuse targeting England footballers on social media during the 2026 World Cup was amplified by algorithms designed to maximize engagement and profits. Activist group Hope Not Hate analyzed over 300,000 posts on platform X (formerly Twitter) and found more than 5,500 explicitly racist posts directed at England players.

The group argues that X's recommender algorithm pushed toxic content into millions of feeds because posts provoking anger and outrage generate more interaction, keeping users on the platform longer and potentially increasing ad revenue. Patrik Hermansson, a senior researcher at Hope Not Hate, stated that X benefits from this hate as it drives engagement and elevates content to front and center feeds.

Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, and Kobbie Mainoo were the most targeted players, while Djed Spence, who recently converted to Islam, faced a distinct stream of anti-Muslim abuse. Hope Not Hate suggests that social media companies should downrank posts with high volumes of abuse to reduce their visibility. The group also calls for Ofcom to enforce stricter safety rules under the Online Safety Act, including designating major sporting events as high-risk and requiring platforms to proactively remove abusive content.

Ofcom responded by stating that they are pushing tech firms to make their services safer and have formed a partnership with police and footballing bodies to tackle online abuse before the World Cup.