Football APPG launches inquiry into online harms in our National Game
“This inquiry will give Parliament the opportunity to hear directly from those affected, scrutinise the role of platforms and regulators, and consider what more needs to be done to make football a safer space online.”
Clive Betts MP for Sheffield South East and chair of the Football APPG
THE All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Football has today announced a new parliamentary inquiry into Online Harms in Football, examining the growing impact of abuse, threats and harmful content across the game.
The inquiry will run as a short select-committee style process, with four evidence sessions taking place either side of the Easter recess. Each session will hear from expert witnesses and focus on a specific theme, ranging from lived experience and education to regulation, technology and enforcement.
The inquiry will open on Tuesday 24 March, with a public evidence session held at the National Football Museum in Manchester, at the conclusion of the first day of the Fair Game Conference. Subsequent sessions will take place at the Houses of Parliament in April.
Inquiry timetable
6–8pm, Tuesday 24 March – Opening session: Lived experience and stakeholders
National Football Museum, Manchester9.30–11.30am, Wednesday 15 April – Creating a safe environment
Education, research and media literacy solutions
Houses of Parliament9.30–11.30am, Wednesday 22 April – Managing the content
Social media companies, tech platforms, Ofcom and the Football Policing Unit
Houses of Parliament9.30–11.30am, Wednesday 29 April – Final session
Senior ministers from relevant departments and shadow teams
Houses of Parliament
A full list of witnesses will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
The inquiry will conclude with a written report, authored by parliamentarians and supported by the APPG on Football Secretariat, setting out findings and recommendations for government, regulators, football authorities and technology companies.
Clive Betts MP for Sheffield South East, Chair of the APPG on Football, said:
“Online abuse and harassment have become an everyday reality for too many people involved in football – from players and officials to journalists, volunteers and supporters. This inquiry will give Parliament the opportunity to hear directly from those affected, scrutinise the role of platforms and regulators, and consider what more needs to be done to make football a safer space online. Football matters deeply to communities across the country, and tackling online harms must be part of protecting the future of the game.”
Matt Bishop MP for the Forest of Dean, a member of the Inquiry team, added:
“The digital environment around football has changed dramatically, but protections have not kept pace with the scale and severity of abuse we now see. This inquiry will look seriously at how education, enforcement and regulation can work together, and where responsibilities should lie, to ensure online spaces connected to football are properly managed and policed.”
Niall Couper, CEO of Fair Game, which manages the Secretariat for the APPG on Football, said:
“Football is often described as a force for good, but that promise is undermined when online abuse is allowed to flourish unchecked. This inquiry brings together lived experience, expertise and political leadership to examine the problem in the round and to identify practical, evidence-based solutions. Fair Game is proud to support parliamentarians in ensuring this inquiry leads to meaningful change.”
