ZURICH -- FA chief executive Mark Bullingham has said the organisation has not seen enough progress from social media platforms acting to prevent racist abuse.
Lionesses defender Jess Carter announced before their semifinal with Italy that she was stepping back from her social media accounts due to the racist abuse she has been subjected to during Euro 2025.
The FA said they had referred the abuse to the UK police, while the Lionesses released a statement saying they would stand in solidarity with Carter.
Back in July 2021, three players in the men's team were victims of racial abuse after England lost the Euro 2020 final to Italy. The FA and Prime Minister at the time condemned the abuse Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka received and called for action.
But talking in Switzerland ahead of the Lionesses' final with Spain on Sunday, Bullingham said they have not seen the progress they would like since the final four years ago.
"We did think things would improve and we lobbied very hard together with Kick it Out and other representatives in football to make sure the Online Harms Act came through," Bullingham said.
"I think we would have liked it to have been stronger in some cases -- if you look at the specific areas like 'legal but harmful' and things like that.
"There's a real risk that if we're not firm in how the act is implemented, it won't be as strong as we hope. I think now it's incumbent on Ofcom to make sure they really do bring those responsible for running social media platforms to account and I haven't seen huge progress in the last couple of years. We would like to see it now."
He added: "I would say that all social media platforms could be a lot better. There has been a lot of focus on taking down content and I think they could be better at taking down content but, more importantly, they could be much better at preventing it as well and then aiding prosecution when it happens. So they need to be better."
Bullingham said the FA has not been contacted by any social media companies since Carter released her statement.
"We have had meetings with them in the past few years, but we haven't seen the progress we'd like to have seen," Bullingham said.
In April 2021 the FA, along with several other footballing governing bodies in the UK, boycotted social media accounts for a day "in response to the ongoing and sustained discriminatory abuse received online by players and many others connected to football."
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Bullingham said the organisation would continue taking further action in sending a firm message to the social media companies.
"We did that in the past, we had a day when we boycotted for a day," Bullingham said.
"I think we'll look at any tool within our disposal, to make a difference. I think what you've got now, that's different to before, is you've got the online safety act, and online harms act, that I think we're very keen to see how Ofcom start implementing measures to bring personal accountability to those that are running social media companies, within that, so I think there are different tools at our disposal now and we'll definitely be pursuing those."