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Is Not Wearing A Face Mask A Criminal Offence?

Hamish Hallett
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Is Not Wearing A Face Mask A Criminal Offence?

​​Sadiq Khan has come out and has suggested that it should be an illegal offence not to wear a face mask on public transport.

He is the latest person to support the idea that people should wear face masks or face coverings in public areas, despite there being no legal requirements to do so.  

Some support his statement on the Newscast podcast, whilst others disagree with the idea.

This creates a debate about whether it should be an offence not to wear a face mask.   

Sadiq Khan a few days before Freedom Day wanting Transport for London (TFL) to enforce masks on transport. Courtesy of The Telegraph.

The Facts

Since 19th July, all covid restrictions have been eased including mandatory face masks in public areas like transport, shops and restaurants. However, businesses like Uber and Sainsburys have suggested that they would like customers to continue wearing face masks when using their services. Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor, has now joined these businesses encouraging people to continue wearing masks on public transport and other public areas. But not only that, he has gone a step further by suggesting that not wearing a face mask should be an illegal offence. He said this on the Newscast podcast, where he said that he is trying to lobby the government to bring in a bylaw that would mean that the police would be able to fine people who don’t wear masks on public transport.

We are trying to lobby the government to allow us to bring in a bylaw, so it will be the law again, so we can issue fixed penalty notices and we can use the police service and the BTP to enforce this.”


Sadiq Khan on the Newscast podcast

He cited evidence that face masks make a difference in stopping the spread of the virus and were useful for those with asymptomatic infection. Since saying this, there have been mixed reactions from many across the political spectrum. Patrick Christys commented that Khan was taking a stronger stance on mask-wearing than on knife crime, and Gillian McKeith called the London Mayor mad for mentioning the idea. It has been reported that 64% of adults in the UK support the idea of people wearing face masks indoors like in public transport and shops.

Since the easing of restrictions on Freedom Day, there have been mixed reports of people wearing or not wearing masks in public spaces.  

But what is important to understand is if failing to wear a face mask should be considered an illegal offence?

We turn to our journalists to see what they think of this question.

Sadiq Khan is right to say not wearing a face mask should be a criminal offence 

Sadiq’s attention to the issue of wearing face masks highlights the needed collective and individual responsibility in continuing the fight against an endlessly mutating virus. 

Sadiq is right to say refusal to wear a face mask should be a criminal offence, solely for the reason that the introduction of the by-law legally mandates the British Transport Police (BTP) to enforce the law. The current enforcements since July 19th have been “conditions of carriage” – i.e. not legally enforceable, and therefore neither policied nor non-compliance resulting in penalties. A couple of factors unique to London provide a solid grounding for BTP enforcement; the population density of the city (highest in the UK) and migrant/foreign-born population and the increased likelihood of introduction of new COVID strains (35% of the UK migrant population is in London). Given the grievances of the past year, Londoners owe it to each other to minimise the unprecedented spreading of foreign strains in a densely populated city – which in the worse case, could become a virus breeding ground. 

Perhaps Sadiq should have led with a softer approach; Instead of stern conditions of carriage and a subsequent by-law – in effect, refusal of entry and asking to leave if a mask is not worn – London transport authorities should ensure sufficient availability of daily-use masks in public transport junctions in the interest of ensuring high compliance rates and provide necessary recycling facilities for disposal of daily masks. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), wearing masks alone is not sufficient to suppress transmissions; other measures should also be taken, for example, frequent deep cleaning of carriages. 

Sadiq is right in ensuring individual and collective responsibility, yet he would have been wise to reiterate the measures London authorities are taking too.

The cost is hardly tremendous for the UK’s wealthiest city. 

Sadiq Khan’s contribution isn’t needed

The Face mask debate has been drilled into our heads and it has become hopeless, divisive, and annoying.  

And with Sadiq Khan saying that it should be an offence for someone not wearing a mask on public transport, his contribution to this dry, over-the-top, and dull debate isn’t needed.  

He needs to tell us how he will get London back on its feet and recover from this virus.

Londoners have lost their jobs, livelihoods, and their will to live and having a mayor talking about a bit of cloth over your face is a kick in the teeth. Masks protect Londoners, which is true, but there are more outstanding issues at hand. These include the economic fallout of the virus, the housing crisis, and the skyrocketing knife crime. Those issues deserve way more attention than a bit of cloth, and Khan even said himself that 86% of Londoners have continued to wear masks after the 19th of July. So why add more fuel to this unnecessary debate when a large majority of Londoners are wearing masks anyway?

Khan isn’t a mad mayor or incompetent, especially when you compare him to other politicians like Boris Johnson.   

However, when you can speak about issues that matter, like on a podcast, and you decide to talk about a piece of cloth covering someone’s face, that is where we need to question Khan’s priorities regardless of how you think of him.  

Majority of Euro 2020 Racist Abuse From UK Accounts And 99% Were Not Anonymous, Says Twitter

Mike Omoniyi
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Majority of Euro 2020 Racist Abuse From UK Accounts And 99% Were Not Anonymous, Says Twitter

Twitter’s data stands in contrast to that from the UK Football Policing Unit which said that of 207 social media posts deemed to be criminal, 34 came from accounts in Britain and 123 in other countries.

The social media company added that 99% of the accounts which it suspended over the abuse were not anonymous.

It follows suggestions by England manager Gareth Southgate that much of the abuse was originating from abroad.

Following the tournament, Southgate described the abuse as “unforgivable” and said: “I know a lot of that has come from abroad. People that track those things have been able to explain that. But not all of it.”

99% of the accounts suspended were not anonymous

Twitter said today…

Following the Tournament, we undertook our own analysis of the Tweets removed and accounts suspended. This is to ensure we have a comprehensive understanding of the behaviour we encountered and the users involved, and that the steps we take going forwards can be as effective as possible. While that work is continuing, we wanted to share some initial findings.

Given the international nature of the Euro 2020 Final, it was no surprise to see that the Tweets we removed came from all over the world. However, while many have quite rightly highlighted the global nature of the conversation, it is also important to acknowledge that the UK was – by far – the largest country of origin for the abusive Tweets we removed on the night of the Final and in the days that followed. 

We also wanted to better understand the users we had permanently suspended over the course of the tournament. While we have always welcomed the opportunity to hear ideas from partners on what will help, including from within the football community, our data suggests that ID verification would have been unlikely to prevent the abuse from happening – as the accounts we suspended themselves were not anonymous. Of the permanently suspended accounts from the Tournament, 99% of account owners were identifiable.

We also continue our work on reducing the visibility of this kind of content, ensuring fewer people see it. Indeed, only 2% of the Tweets we removed following the Final generated more than 1000 Impressions (Impressions are the number of views a Tweet receives before being removed). This highlights the importance for us of focusing even further on finding ways to make sure these Tweets are seen by as few people as possible – or prevent them from being sent in the first place.  

Racist behaviour does not reflect the vast majority of people who use Twitter to participate in vibrant conversations about football in the UK. Critically, the word “proud” was used more often on the day following the Final than on any other day this year, as people expressed their support for the England team.

Mural honouring England's Jadon Sancho, Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford defaced with racist messages - Mirror Online
Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka alongside England teammate Raheem Sterling ( Image: Getty Images)

Two major requests were made of social media platforms, firstly: “Messages and posts should be filtered and blocked before being sent or posted if they contain racist or discriminatory material.”

And secondly that “all users should be subject to an improved verification process that (only if required by law enforcement) allows for accurate identification of the person behind the account”.

In a blog post published on Tuesday, Twitter argued: “that ID verification would have been unlikely to prevent the abuse from happening”.

The company said this was because “the accounts we suspended themselves were not anonymous. Of the permanently suspended accounts from the tournament, 99% of account owners were identifiable.”

Twitter said that it removed 1,961 abusive tweets during the final and in the days that followed using automated tools, with just 126 removed following reports from users.

Only 2% of these tweets had generated more than 1,000 impressions – something the company shared as an indication of its efforts to “quickly identify and remove racist, abusive tweets targeting the England team”.

EP58: How Lockdown Changed Everything w/ David Elikwu

The Common Sense Network
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EP58: How Lockdown Changed Everything w/ David Elikwu

As the world begins its slow pivot from managing the COVID-19 crisis to recovery and the reopening of economies, it’s clear that the period of lockdown has had a profound impact on how people live.

In this episode, M.T. is joined by entrepreneur David Elikwu as they discuss all the ways COVID has changed the world.

Join the conversation online #CommonSensePod

Like what you watched? Click here to join our community for free – https://csnetwork.substack.com/

We are an independent news outlet. We were founded by 500+ ordinary people who saw a problem with the mainstream media and did something about it. This means we are not solely driven by profit margins or vested interests. We are a platform kept alive by our community who we exist to serve. In a digital age, where the news cycles move at dizzying speeds, news has become noise.

The Common Sense Network is a platform our readers visit to discover stories that matter. To discover stories from across the political spectrum, local stories, stories that hold power to account, that uncover wrongdoing, that empower the forgotten and the unheard. We are on a mission to build the broadest coalition of diverse commentators in the UK. Our articles are well researched, well written and straight-talking. We remain committed to providing multiple perspectives on issues because we believe, there are two sides to every story….

Editors: Torrin Andrews
Editors: Mubarak Tairu

Should Football Fans Be Double-Vaccinated?

Tyrone Chambers
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Should Football Fans Be Double-Vaccinated?

It’s important that fans can continue to watch sporting events over the autumn, which is why we’re exploring the role vaccines might play in this. This will not only allow full capacity stadiums but has the added bonus of incentivising people of all ages to go and get their jab.”


Government source, courstey of Sky News

The Facts

After seventeen months and forty-eight rounds of fixtures, Premier League stadiums are fully open again for fans. The caveat however is that fans may have to be in receipt of both COVID vaccine jabs in order to be admitted, which poses the question to fans “why were they not needed for the Euros?” but that is another question for another day. For today, football fans are just happy that the season starts in less than a week.

Brentford Community Stadium will play host to the season’s curtain-raiser. But by the end of September, it could be COVID passports and double vaccinations as additional requirements for entry at stadiums which might be the topic of discussion.

There have been reports that some Premier League clubs may oppose these plans, saying that they are “unworkable”, especially as these plans were announced a month before the season was going to start. The Shadow Sports Secretary has criticised the government for being indecisive and having a lack of strategy regarding vaccine passports for sporting events.

To insist on vaccine passports less than a month before the start of the season will cause major disruption, especially at the lower end of the pyramid. The government has chopped and changed their advice, making it impossible for people and businesses to plan.”

Jo Stevens, shadow sports secretary

Vaccine passports are not just looking like they are going to be used in football stadiums. There has been confirmation that vaccine passports will be used in nightclubs from the end of September, which has sprung a similar debate around if this should be allowed.

We turn to our journalists at Common Sense who we asked if it should be a requirement for football fans to be double vaccinated when going to football matches.

The argument for this is valid, especially with concerns of a fifth wave rife not long after our emergence out of wave four. The capacity management over the Euros was especially catastrophic. Allowing over 50,000 fans to attend Wembley for both semi-finals and the final proved to those who were unsure that the government will always put the health of the economy over the health of the public.

Now is the perfect time to show that Health is actually the priority by implementing these passports across the board and lowering the threshold. Of the twenty Premier League sides, only one falls below the 20,000 figure that has been touted. Right now, daily average case numbers are greater than that.

On top of this, the other 72 professional clubs will have the same restrictions placed upon them. With a straightforward approach based on stadium capacity, all stadia with a capacity of less than 20,000 could be limited to a maximum capacity of 50%, while those larger are capped at 20,000 for the first half of the season, then restrictions are eased or tightened after the January transfer window.

What has to be remembered also, these passports also enable you to enter if you can prove a negative test result, so the anti-vaxxers could still utilise it. 

Many see vaccine passports as the way forward for us to go back to our way of living, and I, for one, was supportive of this near the beginning of the year.

But as the months went by, times have changed, we have new information, and we have seen that many of us have been vaccinated.  

So much so, I have changed my mind on this topic.

And with the decision that football fans must be fully vaccinated to go to matches from October, even though fans will be in the stadiums before this point, this decision will bring more harm than good to clubs, fans and sporting culture. If you bring in vaccine passports, why bring them in when there have already been pre-season friendlies and two months of the season played? It makes no logical sense! How do you expect the government to pull off vaccine passports when they couldn’t get a track and trace system to work? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. It is insane to expect an incompetent government to be competent when all you see is incompetency.  

Back to football, lower league teams need money to stay afloat, and they need fans desperately. Vaccine passports will add another barrier to clubs and fans that is unnecessary when looking at how most people are vaccinated. By restricting fans who, for no choice of their own, are unable to get vaccinated for health reasons or are unable to show that they have been vaccinated, we start to turn football into an exclusive sport.  

Covid or no Covid time, Sport isn’t supposed to be exclusive.

Sport is all about uniting people, and vaccine passports go against this message.  

The Marble Arch Mound – An Exercise In Dystopic Capitalism.

Matt Healing
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The Marble Arch Mound – An Exercise In Dystopic Capitalism.

Highstreet footfall has flatlined since the beginning of the pandemic. The government’s response to this, plus a swathe of other issues that have been expedited by the pandemic, has come in the form of the “Build Back Better” scheme – A radical push to restart the ailing economy, generate jobs and develop infrastructure across the UK. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said about the push to reignite the economy,

“This plan for growth is a call to arms to put this right. Our mission is to unleash the potential of our whole country and restore the energy and confidence of the Victorians themselves.”

Boris Johnson

As bombastic as ever, Johnson never fails to inject a sense of flailing hopefulness in the face of his ever-lacking leadership.

Meeting The Mound

On one of my first post-lockdown excursions into London city centre to meet my colleagues non-virtually for the first time, I sat on the 390 bus as we dipped through the grand streets of Mayfair.

As the bus rounded the bend past Marble Arch, I noticed something unsightly had consumed the structure. At first glance, I assumed it to be some stage, vast struts of scaffolding propped up vaguely grey-green tarps, its unfinished exoskeleton revealing a hollow shell beneath. I believed at the time that, whatever it was that I was looking at, was far from finished.

It wasn’t until stories began flooding Twitter that I put two and two together. The strange heap overlooking Hyde Park was, in fact, the inaugural opening of a temporary installation commissioned by Westminster City Council – The Marble Arch Mound. Kay Buxton, chief executive of the local business group the Marble Arch London BID, said this about the project:

“Marble Arch Mound is a much needed shot in the arm for the recovery of London’s hospitality sector, as we expect hundreds of thousands of visitors to come back to the West End to see this spectacular attraction. With international tourism still on hold, the sector is relying on domestic tourism to boost income, and Marble Arch Mound offers UK visitors something truly unique and remarkable, and a reason to venture to the capital once again.”

Kay Buxton

At best, The Mound feels like a fleeting attempt at stimulating a pandemic-riddled economy; at worst, it is excruciatingly out of touch. At the heart of the capital, the faux-natural installation does nothing to consider what may bring life back to an entirely disconnected London – a public space that engages positively with the unbuilt environment, free of transactions. So much space in the capital is privately owned and built upon that green spaces are mostly confined to protected segments of land that day-outers flock to in hopes of escaping the claustrophobic highstreets of Soho, Marylebone and Mayfair.

Better spent elsewhere

Homelessness, privatised land, and costly commutes are but a few endemic issues that can make navigating the city an unsavoury experience. Once you pass the monetary threshold to enter the city, you are greeted with grand examples of London’s eclectic architectural history. Beautiful facades, if not private housing for the rich and famous, usually conceal shopfronts. Boutique coffee spots, luxury apparel outlets, and sprawling apartment stores overlook gated communities and private gardens. A closer look, however, reveals ugly truths that are all too commonplace in most major cities. Those without proper accommodation are forced to take shelter in alcoves where they won’t be shooed employees or, worse still, aggressed upon by police.

According to Streets Of London, “More than 11,000 people sleep rough on the streets of London every year.”

Many have fallen by the wayside in the wake of the pandemic. As Boris Johnson’sgovernment continually fails to protect its most vulnerable, and utterly unnatural “experience” has been erected in the name of stimulating the economy. The estimated cost of The Marble Arch Mound totals £2 million, a figure that pales in comparison to the estimated £10 billion it would take to end homelessness in the UK, but would nonetheless have made a tangible impact on so many lives. If only it were invested in helping London’s most vulnerable.

Instead, we are left with The Mound, a sarcastic grin diminishing green and free spaces in the city, a poor attempt at stimulating the city centre’s long-broken economy.

Living in a studio apartment, three flights away from solid ground, no private or public outdoor space in sight, the thing I craved most throughout 2020 was, beyond reconnecting with loved ones, reengaging with the physical environment.

The built environment constricts us and tricks us into thinking we can freely navigate the world when, in reality, every city street in central London carrels us down estuaries to our designated location like GPS. If your destination is The Marble Arch Mound, you’ll pay a rapidly falling rate of £4.50 to climb 130 stairs like a theme park rollercoaster, slowly ticking along the track while you take in the sights of a sordid landmass, barren highstreets, a person with no shoes or shelter.

Reviews of The Mound

Is there any catharsis at the top of the mound? Some new vigour to experience the city, to spend, to consume? Let’s see how those who visited the mound reacted on their trip to the manufactured spectacle.

Should you visit The Mound?

If you’re ever in the area, ticking along to your pre-approved destination for shopping or food or spectacle, break free from the time-money matrix to go and marvel at The Mound. In my fleeting glimpse at its heavy presence casting shadows over Hyde Park, I didn’t find anything “remarkable” about it other than the mere fact of its conception.

I put it to the decision-makers behind The Mound, and perhaps the decision-makers full stop that there may well be many a tangible “reason to venture to the capital once again.” However, The Mound isn’t one of them.

It is instead a decaying reminder that those who make decisions on your behalf in the name of profit don’t know you at all and don’t care enough to find out.

What’s Going On In Cuba?

Hamish Hallett
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What’s Going On In Cuba?

Mass demonstrations have erupted in Cuba, with these demonstrations going on since the beginning of July.  

Reports suggest that the country is experiencing a lack of essential goods, power outages and the health and economic consequences of the pandemic.

The Cuban government have also curbed civil liberties during this time, which adds to the many reasons why these protests are occurring.

DW News talking about how the protests started

How did this start?

Cuba’s economy contracted by 10.9% in 2020, and in the first six months of 2021, the economy contracted again by another 2%. Not just that, but Cuba has had less financial support from the likes of Venezuela and United States sanctions have also played a part in what we see in the country regarding the protests. Donald Trump imposed more than 200 sanctions during his time as President of the United States, and Joe Biden has not lifted these sanctions. However, some argue that the way the Cuban government is set up has played a part in the current protests.

Abraham Jiménez Enoa, a Cuban Washington Post columnist, has stated that the country’s political system has promoted the protests more than the United States embargo. Cuba has a Soviet style-centrally planned economy, and to some people, it has started to become inefficient. Lillian Guerra, a Cuban scholar, has suggested the government has focused on building hotels and tourist facilities rather than focusing on addressing the needs of the Cuban people. These needs include living standards being reduced.

The relations between the United States and Cuba are like a spider web. On one side, it’s true that the embargo is not a myth. It really affects the people of Cuba. But it’s obvious, as well, that the embargo is not the only thing responsible for the current state of the country. I’d say the embargo is, like, 30% of the problem, and the other 70% is the ineptitude and management of the Cuban government and its authoritarianism.”


Havana-based Washington Post columnist Abraham Jimenez Enoa 

Since the protests have started, there has been many arrests and reports of protestors disappearing. According to a Spanish NGO called Prisoners Defenders, more than 178 people have gone missing during the protests. Those reported missing include José Daniel Ferrer, who is the figurehead of the dissident movement in the country. The UN Working Ground against Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances has sent a request to the Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations to act regarding the alleged disappearances.

Joe Biden’s Robust Approach

Historically, the relationship between the United States and Cuba has been one of hostility, mainly due to the ideological differences between these countries. Yet, this relationship took a massive turn when Barack Obama become president of the United States in 2008. The then-president initiated an era of détente with Cuba, which meant that all sanctions were relaxed. Obama eased travel restrictions that enabled Cuba-Americans to send funds back to Cuba and for people to visit the country for religious and educational purposes. He also removed the country from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, embassies of the United States and Cuba reopened in both countries, and Obama visited Cuba in 2016- becoming the first sitting president of the United States to visit the nation in nearly 90 years. 

However, as Obama’s time as president came to an end, Trump soon reversed much of what Obama did, especially with Cuba. Trump reinstated travel and business restrictions on the country, cut United States embassy staff in Cuba, and put the country back on the terrorism sponsor list. With Biden becoming president of the country near the end of 2020, there was anticipation that he would reverse much of what Trump did regarding Cuba, but this has not occurred.  

Joe Biden hosting Cuban-American leaders at the White House and saying that he “stands with the Cuban people who have suffered decades under a failed communist regime”

Observing the current protests in Cuba, Biden has reacted robustly by making it clear that he supports the protests and has already sanctioned Cuba’s security minister, their police force, and two police leaders. This is due to how the government has handled the demonstrations, and Biden has stated that there will be more sanctions “unless there’s some drastic change in Cuba.” Miguel Diaz-Canel, the president of Cuba, hasn’t been too impressed by the United States position and has even blamed the United States for its current unrest. He has suggested the protests were sincere but have been manipulated by social media campaigns orchestrated by the United States.

What’s Next For Cuba?

The situation within Cuba looks like it will not improve any time soon, especially seeing how Biden and Diaz-Canel are taking a very zero-sum approach to this situation. Even though information around these protests has died down, there are still reports saying that people have gone missing. Reuters has also reported that fake news has been spreading regarding the protests, making the situation even more unclear.  These stories included Raul Castro fleeing to Venezuela, protestors kidnapping a provincial Communist Party chief and Venezuela sending troops to Cuba, which are untrue.

Outside of Cuba, there have been marches of support for the Cuban people in Chile, places in the United States, Canada, and Spain.

Antigua and Barbuda’s ambassador to the United States wants the United States to end its embargo on Cuba, with China and North Korea supporting this position.

Meanwhile, countries like Canada, Spain and Mexico want peace within this country and support the protests.

Stop Punishing Black Women For Choosing Themselves

CheVaughn Starling
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Stop Punishing Black Women For Choosing Themselves

The Olympics’ recent events have shown that society holds Black women to a higher standard than others. The world seems to forget that people of colour have feelings and deal with issues just like everyone else. Whether in a work setting or at the Olympics, there seems to be a sense of amnesia regarding Black women’s opinions and feelings. Black women are choosing themselves and being punished for it by certain public institutions and society. Black women should not have to explain why they choose to look out for their well-being.

The Unnecessary Pressure

Biles withdrew from several events at the 2020 Olympics, citing physical and mental health concerns.


For many Black women, there is an unspoken amount of pressure that society places on them. Simone Biles is one of the many examples of unnecessary pressure society puts on Black women. She is considered one of the greatest gymnasts of our time and was expected to defend her gold medals from 2016. America expected Biles to be their champion and bring back golds for the USA; however, when she chose to take care of her well-being, some supporters suddenly shifted their narrative, calling her a “quitter” and “selfish.” Biles is not the only Black woman who experienced this pressure from the outside world.

In 2019, Nike did not renew Allyson Felix’s contract after denying her request to honour her pregnancy terms and conditions and giving her a 70 percent pay cut from her last contract. Black women should not have to choose between motherhood and risking an endorsement. It is utterly disrespectful for society to place specific pressures on Black women.

The Playing Field is Not Leveled, Nor Was it Meant to Be

Controversy over Soul Cap’s swim cap after Olympics bans them.

Honestly, many of these rules set in place by society did not have Black women in mind. The Olympics is a clear indicator of that notion. For example, the Olympic Committee stated the Soul Cap swimming cap designed for natural African hair was not suitable because “it does not fit the shape of the head.” To go further, Judges penalized and deducted points from Simone Biles on moves she created; the Code of Points undervalues the movements she perfected.

In addition to the Olympics, other intuitions antagonize Black women for not conforming to the “status quo.” ‘1619 Project’ creator and Pulitzer-Prize-winning Professor Nikole Hannah-Jones refused a tenure position from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Despite strong recommendation and winning the Pulitzer, UNC dragged their feet concerning her tenure. According to UNC rules and procedure’s Hannah-Jones’ process was done differently than her white co-workers.

Black Women Deal With Mental Health Issues Too

Osaka, Biles, and Richardson faced scrutiny after expressing the importance of self-care.


Far too often, Black women have carried a stereotype as talking loud, having an attitude, or portraying the “Mad Black Women” persona when they display a hint of emotion. Society seems not to get the pain that Black women go through regularly and does not understand that their feelings are merit-based. When Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open, citing she wanted to focus on her mental health, people assumed her struggles were false or exaggerated. In 2018, Serena Williams was fined 17,000 US Dollars for an outburst at the US Open. Similar explosions may result in technical penalties in other sports, but Serena has always been targeted for solid emotion towards the sport she loves most of her career.

Recently, Sha’Carri Richardson was excluded from the Olympics because Marijuana was in her system during the Olympic Trials. Did she break the rules? Yes. Was the suspension justified? Yes. However, Marijuana is becoming legal in states around the US and is not a performance-enhancing drug. Regardless of the timing of the use, we as a society have no right to tell a person how to grieve.

The unnecessary pressure and changing the rules for Black women need to stop. Quite frankly, it is no one’s business how these women decide to live their lives. Black women should not have to explain themselves to anyone in their decisions that are best for them.

Navigating the creative industry as a talent manager- w/ Bolu Bello // No Borders

Mike Omoniyi
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Navigating the creative industry as a talent manager- w/ Bolu Bello // No Borders

In this episode of No Borders, we sit down with experienced talent manager Bolu Bello. She and Torrin talk about her backstory into falling into the job role that she now loves, how her experience studying law in University has added to her arsenal of skills too. As well as this, they explored some interesting issues with the creative community and how individuals can start to thrive in the industry.

For more from Bolu, Follow her socials here:

https://www.instagram.com/bolubello/?…

https://twitter.com/bolu_bello

https://twitter.com/withmusta

Like what you watched?

Click here to join our community for free – https://csnetwork.substack.com/

_____________

We are an independent news outlet. We were founded by 500+ ordinary people who saw a problem with the mainstream media and did something about it. This means we are not solely driven by profit margins or vested interests. We are a platform kept alive by our community who we exist to serve. In a digital age, where the news cycles move at dizzying speeds, news has become noise. The Common Sense Network is a platform our readers visit to discover stories that matter. To discover stories from across the political spectrum, local stories, stories that hold power to account, that uncover wrongdoing, that empower the forgotten and the unheard. We are on a mission to build the broadest coalition of diverse commentators in the UK. Our articles are well researched, well written and straight-talking. We remain committed to providing multiple perspectives on issues because we believe, there are two sides to every story….

_____________ Editors: Torrin Andrews Editors: Mubarak Tairu

EP57: Is Social Media Ruining Evening? w/ Chirs Reevo

The Common Sense Network
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EP57: Is Social Media Ruining Evening? w/ Chirs Reevo

In this episode, M.T. talks all things social media with the Managing Director of Reeve Social, a Social Media agency based in Norwich.

Join the conversation online using the hashtag #CommonSensePod

It’s Time To Reclaim The English Flag Once And For All

Hamish Hallett
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It’s Time To Reclaim The English Flag Once And For All

Over the past month, England was united as one great country and supported the Men’s football team at the Euros.

This country has gone through tremendous pain, suffering and division because of the pandemic, the last few elections, and Brexit.  

Yet, seeing people at pubs, fan zones and Wembley stadium, the country was together as one. And yes, the Euros was ruined by England losing in the final and the horrendous racial abuse towards Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka after the match. But what isn’t being spoken enough about is the togetherness of the country after the abuse they received. People supported these players on social media with endless tributes and messages. There were gatherings around Rashford’s mural, illustrating that this country is more united than divided. What also stood out the most during the last couple of weeks was the barrage of red and white crosses. Regardless of where you came from, who you were and your political alignments, the expression of patriotism through the flag of St George was embraced by everyone.

Marcus Rashford mural messages of support to be preserved - BBC News
Marcus Rashford’s mural was covered with messages and England flags after he received racial abuse online after the Euros final. Image courtesy of BBC News

However, as the weeks go by and the Euros becomes a distant memory, I anticipate that the English flag will be placed back into people’s closets.

The flag will start gathering up dust, and the next time England plays at a major tournament, the flag will come out again and be used for a short period.

I am against this, and it is not because I am a “flag-shagger.”

I believe that the English flag deserves a lot more than being a sporting symbol.  

The English flag should be put up regardless of the occasion without any judgement.  

But for this to happen, we must reclaim the English flag once and for all.

The best Euro 2021 England flag pictures from around the country - now send us yours
According to a YouGov Poll in 2018, close to a quarter of Brits (24%) have an unfavourable view of people who wave the English flag. Image courtesy of The Telegraph. 

The reason behind this is because over the last few years, showing off Englishness through the flag has been looked down upon. Before England fans went off to Russia for the 2018 World Cup, Mark Roberts, who was the head of football policing, said that fans should leave their flags at home because they could “come across as imperialistic and cause antagonism.” The Royal Mail stopped staff from hanging England flags on their vehicles during the recent Euros, and Flakefleet Primary school had to remove a video from its Twitter page that showed children waving the flag. One parent called the idea of children showing their support for England via waving the flag “mindless hooliganism.”

Ian Dale questioning why there is a reluctance to show patriotism in England. Video courtesy of LBC.

From these examples, it seems like, as Ian Dale has suggested, that “if you rally round the Union Jack or the flag of St George, some people think there’s some sort of fascistic reason.”

But why is this the case?

My answer is that the fringes of society have claimed our flag for their dishonest gain.

When I say the fringes of society, I mean the EDL, the BNP and the National Front. They have taken our flag and have twisted the flag to be seen as an ethnic-nationalistic symbol. And so, when one tries to showcase the flag outside of sporting occasions, I am not surprised to see resentment towards those who do this. This is because the fringes of society have poised this symbol. Whereas when you compare us to other countries, like Scotland, Wales and France, to name a few, when their citizens showcase their flags, there are not many connotations of “mindless hooliganism.” But this isn’t the first and probably won’t be the last time you hear of extremists claiming symbols.

Look at the swastika – this symbol used to be a sign of peace and good fortune, but it is now regarded as the manifestation of Nazism. The hammer and sickle is another example- this symbol represents the union between the peasantry and the working class, but thanks to the leadership of Joseph Starlin, some people see the symbol as the manifestation of extreme authoritarianism. The English flag is now interpreted as a sign of antagonism because radical individuals or groups have claimed this symbol. But we shouldn’t accept this.  

It shouldn’t be the case that fans are warned not to bring the flag of St George to games due to the actions of the few. Companies like Royal Mail shouldn’t be stopping employees from showing support to their country. And what shouldn’t be the case is the idea that if you go round waving a flag, that this automatically makes you a racist, a xenophobe or a fascist. More people are coming out saying that they are now proud to wave the English flag, thanks to the fantastic performances of our men’s football team. It is fantastic to hear that people like Amar Singh, who wrote for the Independent, no longer see the English flag as a “warning sign” but a flag that they can claim to be their own.

So, what better time now to start questioning why there is this uneasiness to express our patriotism by waving the English flag. 

We all disagree with each other one way or another within this country, but what we need to agree on is our flag.

And not just that, but more importantly, what the flag stands for and the values that comes with it.  

In my eyes, England is a country that should stand for values of tolerance, liberty, and multiculturalism.    

For these values to come through, we must reclaim the flag away from the racists and away from the fringes of society.                   

The Arab World Owes Reparations Alongside The Western World

Shaun Flores
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The Arab World Owes Reparations Alongside The Western World

In my previous article, “Jamaica demanding reparations will fall on deaf ears”, I explored Jamaica’s call for reparations was made again previously in 2015 & and currently in 2021. I reiterated the need to move past it and determine our own future, as we will not be compensated.

Jamaica demanding reparations will fall on deaf ears

The call for reparations excludes the Arab world, which was complicit in horrific acts of slavery centuries before Europeans. Due to the dominant narrative of European chattel slavery, the Arab slave trade has remained hidden in society.

When discussing what Islam has perpetrated in the African world, it can stoke up ideas of Islamophobia, this is not the case, this is purely telling history from an objective lens. This sensitivity has prevented us from challenging history and its atrocities for many years. History is uncomfortable, but we must confront it. Arabs also enslaved Europeans, and in 2016, an estimated 520,000 men, women, and children were living in modern slavery in the Arab States. 

‘Slavery was extremely popular in the 17th century when Islam was gaining notoriety in North Africa. Seven centuries before Europeans came to the continent ten centuries before West Africans were sold across the Atlantic to America.’

Arab Muslims in East and North Africa captured Africans and sold them to the Middle East, where they worked as teachers, field workers, or harem guards. This is why the castration of male slaves was practised. Muslims, on the other hand, including African Muslims, were not allowed to be enslaved, according to Islamic legal views. They had to convert to not be enslaved. The military power of Europe ended the expansion of Islam, which created a shortage of slaves, Arab Muslims had to look for other ways to find slaves, which was black Africa.

The Arab world owes us reparations as well

Arabs were the first major slavers of the African people, in what is known as the “Trans Sahara trade“, existing for over 13,000 years. Otherwise known as “the Veiled genocide”, a term coined by French-Senegalese author Tidiane N’Diaye.

Justifying Slavery | History Today
“The Veiled genocide”. “Selective Theses on the Arab Slave Trade” a book written by French-Senegalese authorTidiane N’Diaye.

From around AD 1000, Islam made Africa into a slave-trading nation. Arab merchants captured around 180 million African people selling them into slavery.

Historian Paul Lovejoy estimates that some 9.85 million Africans were shipped out as slaves to Arabia.

Lovejoy said: “Between AD 650 and 1600, an average of 5,000 Africans was shipped out by the Arabs. This makes a rough total of 7.25 million. Then, between 1600 and 1800, another 1.4 million Africans were shipped out by the Arabs. The 19th century represented the highest point of the Arabian trade where 12,000 Africans were shipped out every year. The total figure for the 19th century alone was 1.2 million slaves to Arabia.”

Forgotten slavery: The Arab-Muslim slave trade | FairPlanet
Images of Africans who were enslaved during the Trans Sahara slave trade

Merchants of Arab slavery were focused on concubines, capturing women and girls turning them into sex slaves. In the European “New World ”, a measure of a man’s stature was contingent upon the ‘physical dimensions of an empire built upon the foundation of forced masculine labour’. Contrastingly within the Islamic Orient wealth prestige was the marker of wealth. Young women were favoured as the vessels of the male pleasure ground, as they were viewed as malleable material shaped to the will of the master.

Author John Dewar Gleissner in his book In “Prisons & Slavery,” writes: “The Arabs’ treatment of black Africans can aptly be termed an African Holocaust. Arabs killed more Africans in transit, especially when crossing the Sahara Desert, than Europeans and Americans, and over more centuries, both before and after the years of the Atlantic slave trade. Arab Muslims began extracting millions of black African slaves centuries before Christian nations did. Arab slave traders removed slaves from Africa for about 13 centuries, compared to three centuries of the Atlantic slave trade. African slaves transported by Arabs across the Sahara Desert died more often than slaves making the Middle Passage to the New World by ship. Slaves invariably died within five years if they worked in the Ottoman Empire’s Sahara salt mines.”

The Arab Slave Trade continues today

According. to the Global Slavery Index in 2018, Africa had the highest rate of modern-day enslavement. Slavery has not stopped because it is such big business. “Globally, slavery generates as much as $150bn (£116bn) in profits every year, more than one-third of which ($46.9bn) is generated in developed countries, including the EU”.

Additionally as recent as 2019, BBC news Arabic conducted an undercover investigation exposing that domestic workers are being illegally bought and sold online in a booming black market in Kuwait. The mere horror that the slave trade continues, but receives minuscule grains of attention is symbolic of social justice movements not holding the Arab world to the same moral, financial and accountable standard as the West.

The Truth Behind Modern Slavery in Kuwait
images of children trafficked into slavery in Kuwait
source: BBC News Arabic

Slave traders in the past had to consider the price of journeys and high mortality rates, now in the modern world exploiters have less to worry about, due to the advancement in transportation and technology. Combined with the flows of migration, now a larger supply of exploitable and vulnerable people is used in the world’s global supply chains in agriculture, fashion, beauty, and sex industries.

The Arab world must also pay its debts and its time more people knew of the atrocities committed. We continually ask the European and the American societies to pay reparations, but the same standard is not held towards the Arab world. We must challenge the legacy of slavery in its entirety. By no means is this a comparison of the slave trade, but a mere calling to the double standard and no true sense of accountability we hold the Arab world too. The Arab world continues countless inhumane, morally reprehensible practices, but the challenges are lacklustre as we do the European and American world.

Is The Black Lives Matter Really Apolitical?

Aaron Fenton-Hewitt
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Is The Black Lives Matter Really Apolitical?

Following the United States’ embargo on Cuba, Black Lives Matter protestors have found themselves in the midst of controversy after appearing to support Cuba, which received significant backlash from academics and organisers.

Activists, organizers and economists have harshly criticized the embargo and the country’s Soviet-style, centrally planned economy, holding both it and the US embargo mainly responsible for the situation it finds itself in, with the added pressure of the pandemic exacerbating the crisis.

In a statement, the organisation said, “The people of Cuba are being punished by the U.S. government because the country has maintained its commitment to sovereignty and self-determination.”

A letter to NBC News read, “We also understand that Anti-Blackness exists within Cuba and is a Global issue. We struggle for and alongside Black people across the diaspora for liberation and self-sovereignty.”

Aston Villa and England centre-back Tyrone Mings blasts Home Secretary Priti Patel for seemingly condoning fans who booed players who took the knee before games.

The issue regarding racism was not unique to the Caribbean island however, as England found itself in the midst of its own controversy regarding racism against black people.

The Euro 2020 final between Italy and England was decided on penalties, after an early Luke Shaw goal was cancelled out by a Bonucci tap-in during the second half.

Three black players – Jadon Sancho (of Borussia Dortmund), Marcus Rashford (of Manchester United) and Bukayo Saka (of Arsenal) all missed their penalties, as Italy went on to lift the trophy.

Following this, there was a tirade of racist abuse aimed at not only those three players but black people in general across the capital. It raised debate as to whether or not England still has a racist culture, despite the overwhelming support for the players.

Aaron’s thoughts

Amidst recent events concerning Black Lives Matter and the gesture of kneeling, it is harder than ever to make the argument that BLM – as both an organisation and a movement – aren’t political; or at the very least, aren’t related in some way, shape or form.

Some have speculated that BLM represents the pursuit of equality for black people across the globe and a direct opposition and challenge for racial injustices (e.g. police brutality, especially in the United States); nothing more and nothing less.

Others have accused the movement of being an anti-white, far-left movement with Marxist-inspired philosophy and protest methods, some of which involves direct and violent action.

Irrespective of the details of these opinions, it’s undeniable that the organisation and movement are inherently linked and political in nature, and as such the narrative of it being apolitical has been demonstrably proven to be untrue and fraudulent.

BLM blasted for praising the Cuban regime. Video credit: Fox News

It’s understandable why genuine anti-racist campaigners might think it’s not political. To them, equality for black people is not a political issue, it’s a human issue. To be anti-racist in and of itself isn’t associated with allegiance to any political party or organisation.

In any case though, their aim is for equal rights for black people, meaning they will pressure governments to pass legislation and introduce schemes to achieve said aims. If they require laws to be changed, some of which might (and have) affect other demographics, it is clearly political, by definition.

Their fight for equal rights might be a noble one, but it does not exempt them from other political affiliations and the environment in which they live. To be anti-racist does not automatically put an individual in a bubble. They live in a society of many other people, and therefore are still subject to debate, criticism, scrutiny and even direct opposition.

It’s a package deal.

Whether it’s for a noble cause or a revolutionary cause, it can no longer be accepted that both the movement and organisation have no political status. Attempting to shield genuine fights for equality from political opposition simply due to its noble nature is not viable. History has proven this.

It’s time to end the myth of BLM being apolitical.

Some would argue why is black lives matter being debated at all?

CheVaughn’s thoughts

Who determines whether something is political or not: People, society, or institutions? Showing basic morals and decent respect towards another human being is not politically driven. It is understandable why someone would think that Black Lives Matter is a political organization.

A lot of their actions are to change the political laws that promote the inequality of black people. However, anybody who thinks that this is the sole case fails to analyze the reason for the movement.


Simply put, black lives matter. It is not saying black lives are superior to other lives. It is not saying that the other lives do not matter. The movement wants to convey that black life is valuable. There is nothing political about the statement black lives matter. One can believe in the mission without physically being a part of the organisation.


Initially, Colin Kaepernick was making a statement when he decided to kneel at a preseason NFL game. His reasoning was to speak out against the unjust killings of African Americans and police brutality. At the time, this had no connection to BLM, nor was it meant to be political.

The black lash and global notoriety evolved the simple action into a political statement used in association with the BLM. Much like Kaepernick, Black Lives Matter initially started because the founders were sick and tired of police brutality and black Americans dying.

A person who supports or appreciates the overall goal of BLM can say and mean just that. They do not have to go to meetings, go to rallies, or lobby for laws to be changed. People can say black lives matter without necessarily being a part of the movement; they can believe black lives matter.

Until a legitimate change is made, statements need to continue to happen. Interlinking the organization and the movement as one political entity is a stretch and an inadequate assessment of the true meaning behind BLM.

Jamaica demanding reparations will fall on deaf ears

Shaun Flores
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Jamaica demanding reparations will fall on deaf ears

Jamaica will be readying the call to demand reparations from Great Britain in a bold attempt to undo the colonial injustices of the past. A lawsuit will be filed against Great Britain due to the nation’s role in the transatlantic slave trade and slavery in the former colony.

“We are hoping for reparatory justice in all forms that one would expect if they are to really ensure that we get justice from injustices to repair the damages that our ancestors experienced,” Olivia Grange, Jamaica’s minister of sports, youth and culture, told Reuters.

Jamaica was seized from the Spanish by the English in 1655, remaining a British colony until its independence in 1962.  Millions of Africans were forcibly imported and were forced to work on plantations tending to a variety of crops. Labouring in terrible conditions, whipped, raped and killed whilst their owners were amassing fortunes.

600,000 Africans were shipped from Africa to Jamaica, according to the National Library of Jamaica.

Under the Slavery Abolition act, 1833, the British government raised £20 million from taxpayers to pay out for the loss of slaves as business assets to the registered owners of the freed slaves. £10 million of the compensated money remained in British society.

Reuters reports Jamaican lawmaker Mike Henry, a member of Jamaica’s Labour Party, declared the price tag of reparations could be valued at $10.5 billion. 

Henry engages in tripartite stakeholder discussions on job security | Loop Jamaica
Jamaican lawmaker Mike Henry, a member of Jamaica’s Labour Party, declared the price tag of reparations could be valued at $10.5 billion. 

He continued: “I am asking for the same amount of money to be paid to the slaves that were paid to the slave owners,” he told Reuters. 

The petition for reparations will be filed pending advice from the attorney general and several legal teams.

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”It’s not the first time Jamaica has asked

In 2015 Sir Hilary Beckles author of “Britain’s Black Debt: Reparations for Caribbean Slavery and Native Genocide” and Chair of the Caricom Reparations Commission, led calls for the former Prime minister David Cameron to start talks on making amends for slavery.

By Hilary Beckles Britain's Black Debt: Reparations for Caribbean Slavery and Native Genocide [Hardcover]: Amazon.co.uk: Hilary Beckles: 8601410489182: Books
Sir Hilary Beckles author of: “Britain’s Black Debt: Reparations for Caribbean Slavery and Native Genocide”

In an open letter in the Jamaican Observer, Sir Hilary wrote:

“We ask not for handouts or any such acts of indecent submission. We merely ask that you acknowledge responsibility for your share of this situation and move to contribute in a joint programme of rehabilitation and renewal,

“The continuing suffering of our people, Sir, is as much your nation’s duty to alleviate as it is ours to resolve in steadfast acts of self-responsibility,”

Jamaica: David Cameron Says No to Slavery Reparations | Time
Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller meeting David Cameron in 2015

David Cameron ruled out slavery reparations urging Caribbean countries to ‘move on from the painful legacy of slavery’.

Cameron himself originated from a family where they benefited from slavery. His wife Samantha also has slave-owning links. The dirt is on their hands. How many times do we have to be refused to understand we will not get reparations? We have the accept the things we can not change. Britain won’t change their stance on reparations.

Can we quantify our trauma?

The abuse that the Black Diaspora endured under slavery has a lasting impact on today’s generations. The ‘historical’ or ‘collective’ trauma affects entire communities simultaneously, seeing the colonial globalized African think and act differently. 

Evidently, this trauma has been a gaping wound in the collective psyche of the Black African diaspora. The state perpetuated this trauma and downplays its effects and damage caused.

In turn, this has created a politics of stonewalling, refusing to accept traumatizes those trapping them in a psychic tomb. The recipient of the crimes do not grieve the loss whilst the perpetrator does not acknowledge the crime.

A plausible link between the lack of recognizing the atrocities of trauma, and the denial creates a racialized nationalised traumatic identity as the trauma presents itself at the level of the community, where the horrors enacted are kept in a collective psychic tomb, passed on in silence. In turn, this results in no real closure and the wound festers inside haunting the future. A recognition of trauma could make freedom opportune, but it must be a reciprocal process and recognized by the other and by one’s self.  It is not reciprocal.

Philosopher Achille Mbembe once said:” To be black is to be stuck at the foot of a wall with no doors thinking nonetheless that everything will open up in the end”.

Presidential Lecture in the Humanities: Achille Mbembe – Stanford Arts
Philosopher Achille Mbembe:” To be black is to be stuck at the foot of a wall with no doors thinking nonetheless that everything will open up in the end”.

The continuing demands for reparations have fallen on ears who are not willing to listen.

For too long we have waited for others to open the door for reparations. It will not open. Whilst we can accept slavery debilitated our people psychologically, socially and economically, we know it will not be acknowledged. Perhaps I am a pessimist dressed up as a realist. We can not continue to rely on the ideas of reparations to fix the damage done by the British Empire.

Malcolm X once said: “You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.” It is time we moved on from the ask for reparations and continue to work together to create our own freedom, as no one holds our freedom, but ourselves. Neither can we wait for them to recognise their wrongdoing, we must seek to make it right, we are the authors of our own destiny and the captain of our ships, we were set to sink, but now we swim.

Tik Tok In The Hot Seat Over Ziggi Tyler’s Exposé

Hamish Hallett
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Tik Tok In The Hot Seat Over Ziggi Tyler’s Exposé

TikTok has been in the headlines over the last couple of days over its Creator Marketplace. Phrases that included “Black” and “Black Lives Matter” was flagged as “inappropriate content” on the platform. Ziggi Tyler, a 23-year-old content creator, posted a video showing that he was flagged for putting these phrases in his bio. On the same day, he posted a follow-up video that showed phrases like “I am a neo-Nazi” and “I am an anti-Semite” not being flagged.  

Tyler’s two videos on this matter have already gained around a million views.

TikTok has apologised for what has happened and has suggested that they are working on this issue.

@ziggityler

#greenscreenvideo I’m going live in 30 minutes to answer questions. Y’all need to get this message out. Please. #fypシ #fyp #wrong #justice

♬ original sound – Ziggi Tyler

How did this happen?

Tyler first noticed his content being flagged when he attempted to update his bio page in TikTok’s Creator Marketplace. This is a beta feature on the platform that allows creators to partner with branded sponsors, and the feature has been up since last year. While trying to update his bio to include phrases like “Black Lives Matter,” “Pro-Black”, or “Black Success,” a message popped up saying that Tyler’s bio contained “inappropriate content”. Later, Tyler used words that included “supporting white supremacy” or “pro-white”, and those terms were not flagged.

In an interview with Forbes magazine, Tyler wanted to highlight his racial background within the marketplace so that advertisers looking to focus on racial justice or expand their ads would choose him. TikTok has explained that their algorithms flagged Tyler’s bio due to him including the word “audience” within his bio. Because their AI tools were taught to flag bios that included the word “die”, the algorithm would also flag words that included “die” within specific phrases like “audience”. The platform has also said that their algorithms would draw attention to any combination of words like “die” and “Black”.

A Spokesperson for the app has come out and suggested that their Creator Marketplace protections “were erroneously set to flag phrases without respect to word order.”

TikTok has said that they were still developing the Marketplace section of the app and that they have since promised to correct the AI issues that caused these phrases to be warned.

“Our TikTok Creator Marketplace protections, which flag phrases typically associated with hate speech, were erroneously set to flag phrases without respect to word order. We recognize and apologize for how frustrating this was to experience, and our team has fixed this significant error. To be clear, Black Lives Matter does not violate our policies and currently has over 27B views on our platform.”

TikTok spokesperson in a statement to NBC News

Algorithms and content creation

This isn’t the first time that algorithms have been mention regarding creating or posting content on social media platforms. Last year when Black Lives Matter protests were occurring, multiple Black creators claimed that TikTok had suppressed content about George Floyd’s death. The company said that there was a “technical glitch”, which was their reasoning behind why there was suppressed content. In May, Media Matters, a non-profit media watchdog, found that TikTok’s algorithm promoted homophobic and transphobic content to viewers. The watchdog found that likening one anti-LGBTQ+ video on an account led to TikTok recommending more videos of that kind. There have been forms of algorithmic censorship happening on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook over the last few years. The most recent example of this was with what was going on in Gaza and the violence towards Palestinians earlier this year.  

Away from algorithms, Black creators on TikTok have started to go on strike to call out dance appropriation.

Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae were criticised for not crediting Black creators when performing TikTok dances on their platforms or during televised appearances.

TikTok’s algorithms have once again raised question marks over these social media platforms and how they allow content on their sites.  

It also raises concerns over racial biases within the technology sector, which has been a widely discussed issue.  

This story proves that regardless of how technically advanced society is going, we are struggling to meet the demands that come with it.  

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