Football’s leaders demand social media bosses act to combat ‘havens of abuse’

'We have had many meetings with your executives over the years but the reality is your platforms remain havens for abuse'

Reece James, Marcus Rashford and Lauren James have all received abuse on social media. Picture: Rui Vieira/Martin Rickett/PA

Social media companies have become “havens for abuse” and must introduce measures to prevent offenders operating anonymously on their platforms, football’s leaders have said.

An open letter from all the game’s major governing bodies to Twitter and Facebook’s chief executives Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg says those platforms, along with Instagram which is owned by Facebook, must do more to stamp out abuse.