Eni Aluko says social media corporations are rewarding hate speech and inspiring folks like Joey Barton to publish “extreme” content material.
Barton was convicted on Friday of sending “grossly offensive” social media posts to former Lionesses star Aluko and fellow broadcasters Lucy Ward and Jeremy Vine.
Prosecutors instructed Liverpool Crown Courtroom the ex-Man Metropolis and Newcastle footballer “had crossed the line between free speech and a crime”.
Barton, who has 2.7m followers on X, stated soccer pundit Aluko was solely on TV protection “to tick boxes” after the “George Floyd nonsense” in posts on the social media platform.
Aluko instructed Sky Sports activities Information she felt “10 times lighter” after seeing Barton discovered responsible on six counts and cleared on six others final Friday, however says oversight is required to stamp out hateful content material on social media.
“Social media companies like X aren’t listening,” the previous Chelsea participant stated. “They’re not going to protect the people on the platforms.
“They really reward hate speech, which is why any individual like Joey Barton thinks, ‘to advertise my podcast, I’ll say excessive issues’.
“It’s the reward system, it’s become a business. So the counter to that, in my view, should be Ofcom fining these social media companies if we consistently keep seeing racism, sexism, hate speech on their platforms.
“We’d like extra accountability for the social media platforms.”
Sky Sports News has approached X for comment.
‘Barton must suffer consequences’
Aluko says “it has been a very tough two years” and come at a “large emotional price to me and my household” but hopes the outcome of Barton’s trial will make people think twice before repeating what he posts.
Barton was convicted for his post about Aluko criticising diversity and inclusion schemes, but was found not guilty for likening her and Ward to the “Fred and Rose West of soccer commentary”.
Jurors did, however, rule that his superimposing of Ward and Aluko’s faces on a photograph of the serial killer couple was grossly offensive.
Lucy Ward was additionally the topic of hateful posts from Barton on social media
“One of the problems with social media is that the amplification of people like Joey Barton [makes] people think they can say the same,” she added.
“But, I’m glad that we have a criminal consequence, and I think people should really take note of what that looks like, so that you regulate your own conduct online and make sure that you’re not crossing the line.
“There’s a component for him the place he has to really feel a way of deep remorse. It is price him some huge cash, and, I do not suppose it is in any means, form or kind enhanced his fame.
“If he ever wanted to work in football, I’m not sure that’s ever going to happen, given just his conduct towards other people in the game.
“He is bought to endure the implications of his conduct, and hopefully there is a little bit of self-reflection. I am a believer in rehabilitation, and any individual reflecting and doing the work to enhance as folks, in order that will probably be all the way down to him.”
‘Intelligent Barton knows what he’s doing’
Aluko does not believe Barton cared about the impact his posts had on her and has asked others to consider the mental toll online abuse can have on people.
“Joey Barton is an clever man. I feel he is aware of what he is doing,” said Aluko.
“4 years earlier than these terrible posts, he was congratulating me on my profession and saying beautiful issues, and it was all career-based as effectively, congratulating me once I went to Juventus, congratulating me once I bought the job at Aston Villa as a sporting director.
“So there’s a calculation to what he did in relation to me that is really malicious and disappointing.
“However I hope that one that despatched me all these beautiful messages, I hope he will get again to whoever that individual was.”
She added: “I might say that you actually need to take into consideration the influence it has on any individual’s psychological well being. There’s been actually tragic examples of what social media abuse can do to any individual. We have seen folks take their life, we have seen folks grow to be severely depressed.
“It’s not just hurty words, if you are consistently harassing somebody or inciting violence and saying that you should be shot, there are consequences to that in the UK.”
