UK Premier Johnson to call on social media firms to tackle online abuse

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told his cabinet team of ministers he would raise the need for urgent action to be taken against online abuse with social media companies on Tuesday, again condemning racist abuse against England's footballers.

"He said the abuse was utterly disgraceful and had emerged from the dark spaces of the internet. He said he would use today's meeting with social media firms to reiterate the urgent need for action ahead of tougher laws coming into force through the online harms bill," his spokesman told journalists.

"We expect social media companies to do everything they can to identify these people."