One week before the start of the World Cup in Qatar, FIFA has just announced the launch of a special service to protect players and all other participants of the competition against online hate and harassment.
While the CNIL recently advised fans traveling to Qatar to bring a disposable phone to avoid being spied on by mandatory Qatari government apps, FIFA has just made a major announcement just days before the start of the 2022 World Cup.
Indeed, FIFA and FIFPRO have confirmed the launch of a special service to protect playersthe sports and technical staff of the 32 participating teams and all those involved in the competition against online hate and harassment.
Through this tool, the organization intends to monitor the accounts of beneficiaries and identify insulting, discriminatory or threatening comments. Thus, this service will take care of detect incriminating messages before report them to social platforms/networks to remove them and initiate potential actions against their authors.
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FIFA wants to protect players against online insults
On Facebook, Instagram or YouTube, insulting comments will be deleted instantly, making them invisible to both account owners and followers. “FIFA is committed to providing the best possible conditions for players to perform at their best. At the Qatar 2022 World Cup, we are pleased to launch a service that will help protect players from the damage social media posts can cause to their mental health and well-being.“, assures FIFA President Gianni Infantino in an official statement.
It must be said that the launch of such a device is welcome. Indeed, the figures revealed in the latest FIFA study speak for themselves. During the 2020 World Cup and the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations, the international federation revealed that more than 55% of players who have participated in these competitions have regularly received insults online.
We also learn that homophobic insults accounted for 40% of cases, followed by racist comments at 38%. Otherwise, the majority of insults come from each player’s home nations.
Source : Le Figaro
