Soccer project tracks social media abuse of 300 people

GENEVA –

A project using artificial intelligence to detect social media abuse targeting 2022 World Cup players identified more than 300 people whose details are being given to police, FIFA said on Sunday.

The people posted “offensive, discriminatory or threatening messages (or) comments” on platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube, the football board said in a report detailing efforts to protect players and officials during the tournament being held in Qatar. played are described.

The biggest spike in abuse was during the France-England quarter-final, according to the final report of a project jointly set up by FIFA and the global players’ union FIFPRO. It used artificial intelligence to identify and hide offensive social media posts.

“Violence and threat became more extreme as the tournament progressed, players’ families were increasingly referred to and many threatened if players returned to a particular country – the country they represent or where they play,” the report said.

About 20 million posts and comments were scanned and more than 19,000 were flagged as abusive. More than 13,000 of those were reported to Twitter for action.

Accounts in Europe sent 38 percent of the identifiable abuse and 36 percent came from South America, FIFA said.

“The numbers and findings in this report come as no surprise, but they are still hugely concerning,” said David Aganzo, president of Netherlands-based FIFPRO.

Players and teams were offered moderation software that intercepted more than 286,000 abusive comments before they were seen.

The identities of the more than 300 people identified for posting abuses “will be shared with relevant member associations and jurisdictional authorities to facilitate real-world action against offenders,” FIFA said.

“Discrimination is a criminal act. With the help of this tool, we identify the perpetrators and report them to the authorities so that they are punished for their actions,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

“We also expect the social media platforms to take their responsibility and support us in the fight against all forms of discrimination,” he said.

FIFA and FIFPRO have expanded the system for use at the Women’s World Cup starting next month in Australia and New Zealand.

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