Committees

Rio Ferdinand to give evidence to MPs and Peers about tackling online hate and racism

7 September 2021

Rio Ferdinand will give evidence at Parliament this Thursday 9 September about his experiences of racism and abuse online.

Witnesses

Thursday 9 September 2021

9:45am

  • Imran Ahmed, CEO of the think tank the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH)

10:45am

  • Rio Ferdinand
  • Sanjay Bhandari, Chair, Kick It Out
  • Edleen John, Director of International Relations, Corporate Affairs and Co-Partner for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Football Association

11:30am

  • Danny Stone MBE, Director, Antisemitism Policy Trus
  • Nancy Kelley, Chief Executive, Stonewall

Rio Ferdinand joins a host of expert witnesses who will discuss the lived experiences of online hate and give their views on improving the draft Online Safety Bill to a joint Committee of MPs and Peers chaired by Damian Collins MP. The Bill, published by the government in draft form in May 2021, is designed to establish a new regulatory framework to tackle harmful content online.

At 9.45am, Imran Ahmed, CEO of the think tank the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) will open the session by setting out some of the harms their organisation has uncovered through research on an international scale. He will also tell the committee why he thinks the bill does not go far enough to tackle online harms.

Then at 10.45am, former England international and football pundit Rio Ferdinand will be joined by the Chair of Kick It Out Sanjay Bhandari and Edleen John from the FA to discuss online racism against footballers and their measurement of the bill in tackling this issue.

Finally, at 11.30am, Nancy Kelley, the Chief Executive of Stonewall and Danny Stone MBE, the Director of the Antisemitism Policy Trust will share their views on how effective the Bill is when it comes to anti-LGBT and antisemitism online hate, in particular its relation to physical attacks.

Further information