Elton John: 'Internet trolls need to be held accountable for the hatred they are spreading'

Elton John is taking on toxic Internet trolls, insisting they must be held accountable for their "hateful" remarks.

The rocker has faced his fair share of criticism over the course of his career, but he's waging a war against the anonymous people who attack, knowing they won't face repercussions.

Speaking on his Apple Music 1 show Rocket Hour, Elton said, "We've lived through two or three years of divisiveness throughout the whole world, and especially in America, but around the world, and during lockdown, we've seen social media being used to abuse people racially. Not just being gay, but racially as well.

"People are so cruel to each other and it's because they hide behind their social messaging or whatever they do. If they had to write their names on it, they wouldn't do it. And I just think it's just awful that people can write anonymous things about people being gay, being of another political persuasion, religious persuasion, or just plain racial (abuse)," the Tiny Dancer hitmaker explained.

"I just think that we have to ask ourselves at this time that it's not good enough for people to be able to post anonymous things online. They have to be accountable for what they say. It's making the world really divided and it's really cruel."

Elton went on to insist that the current wave of Asian hate crimes in America has been fuelled by insensitive trolling, adding, "People in America are being abused for being Asian because of the Covid thing, and it's like, 'Oh, come on'. And it's all down to the hateful messaging that people are putting on their social network. And we have to do something about it."