'You shouldn't be able to hide' - Brighton captain says online abusers must face consequences

Albion captain Victoria Williams has endorsed this weekend's social media blackout across English football, saying it is a 'welcome development' in the fight against online abuse.
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Clubs from the Women's Super League have joined those in the Premier League, EFL and Women's Championship in closing their social media accounts from 3pm on Friday until midnight on Monday in a campaign entitled #Enough.

As a collective, English football will come together to emphasise that social media companies must do more to eradicate online hate, while highlighting the importance of educating people in the ongoing fight against discrimination

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“It's a welcome development,” said Williams, who spoke to 200 local schoolchildren in an online anti-discrimination workshop run by Albion in the Community earlier this year about her own experiences of suffering racist abuse as a child.

Brighton captain Victoria Williams has previous spoken about the racist abuse she suffered as a childBrighton captain Victoria Williams has previous spoken about the racist abuse she suffered as a child
Brighton captain Victoria Williams has previous spoken about the racist abuse she suffered as a child

“We really need the social media platforms to start protecting the players.

“You shouldn't be able to hide behind the anonymity of a screen, abuse people and there not be consequences. Social media needs to be an environment where football and players can showcase themselves.

“Hopefully the three-day blackout will give social media platforms food for thought so they can start addressing the problem.”

Players and high-profile figures in the football media have also pledged to stop posting to their social media channels to increase the awareness of this weekend’s campaign.

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