The FAF has decided to respond to a very sensitive call made by FIFA by featuring it on its website.
Hateful speeches and abusive posts can have serious consequences on the mental health and performances of players, as well as their families. FIFA has committed to protecting players and making football a safe environment. On the occasion of the International Day for Combating Hate Speech on June 18, FIFA reiterated its commitment, having made its social media moderation service available to its 211 member associations during the first half of the year.
This service, part of the No Discrimination campaign, is now accessible to federations outside FIFA competitions. Several teams currently participating in UEFA EURO 2024 and CONMEBOL’s Copa América 2024 have utilized it.
Once registered, the social media moderation service shields players, coaches, officials, and teams from all forms of hate speech by hiding abusive comments. It also protects subscribers from exposure to insulting, discriminatory, or threatening posts, thereby preventing the normalization of such behaviors.
“On this International Day for Combating Hate Speech, I want to emphasize that FIFA believes hate has no place in football. The social media moderation service is a valuable tool in our fight against such behaviors,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Since its introduction at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, this service has analyzed 30 million posts and comments concerning 3,381 players and 160 teams across 11 FIFA events. It has hidden 2.6 million abusive comments to protect their recipients. The most severe posts (30,883 cases in total) have been reported to platforms for sanctions, including the suspension of relevant accounts.
Prevention is part of a memorandum of understanding signed by FIFA and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, renewed in 2023. “Abuse, racism, and hate speech—online and offline—have no place in football or in life,” reminds Ghada Whaly, Executive Director of UNODC.
Last month, at the 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Gianni Infantino called on FIFA’s 211 member associations to unite against racism. Their response was significant. In Germany, the DFB, DFL, and DOSB have teamed up with law enforcement to combat online verbal abuse. In Belgium, the RBFA has developed the “Come Together” action plan to fight online discrimination and racism.
In England, the Football Association funds a dedicated police unit to gather evidence for legal action against online verbal violence during UEFA EURO 2024.
“Football unites the world, but the fight against racism and all forms of discrimination must also unite us,” believes Gianni Infantino. The social media moderation service will be available at upcoming FIFA competitions, including the Olympic Football Tournaments, Paris 2024, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2024™ in Colombia, and other major events.
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