With Zambia’s Barbra Banda being among the footballers who have recently suffered online abuse, FIFA has strengthened its campaign against the vice by expanding its Social Media Protection Service (SMPS), as the world governing body marked the International Day for Tolerance with a renewed call for respect and inclusion in football.
The organisation confirmed that more than 30,000 abusive posts have been flagged to social media platforms for review and removal this year alone, bringing the total to over 65,000 since the service was launched in 2022.
As part of its intensified action, FIFA has reported 11 individuals to law enforcement agencies in Argentina, Brazil, France, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States following online attacks during FIFA competitions. One case has also been referred to Interpol. The respective Member Associations have been notified to take necessary action at national level.
FIFA to blacklist online abusers
In a significant escalation, FIFA revealed it is now blacklisting individuals identified as highly abusive, blocking them from purchasing tickets for future FIFA tournaments or events.
The SMPS has been deployed at several major tournaments this year, including the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup, hosted in the United States. The service monitored 2,401 active accounts across five platforms, analysing 5.9 million posts. Of these, 179,517 posts were flagged for review, and 20,587 were formally reported to the platforms for action. The 32 participating teams represented 72 nationalities, all of whom were covered by the system’s protective monitoring.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasised the organisation’s zero-tolerance stance.
On the International Day for Tolerance, I want to make it abundantly clear that football must be a safe and inclusive space – on the pitch, in the stands and online. Through the FIFA Social Media Protection Service and by deploying advanced technology and human expertise, FIFA is taking decisive action to protect players, coaches, teams, and match officials from the serious harm that online abuse causes.
— Gianni Infantino, FIFA President
He added that FIFA will continue working with member associations, confederations, and global law enforcement bodies to hold offenders accountable.
This behaviour has no place in football or in society and FIFA is taking all possible steps by reporting these incidents and also by blacklisting individuals from purchasing tickets for FIFA tournaments.
The SMPS uses proactive monitoring to detect abusive, racist, discriminatory or threatening content. It filters and blocks harmful messages before they reach their intended targets. It also prevents followers from being exposed to such content, helping reduce the normalisation of online hate.
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