The FIFA and the world footballers union (FIFPRO) launched a service to protect players from hate messages and abuse in social networks during Qatar World Cup 2022 which will be inaugurated on November 20, at the same time as the start of the World Cup.
As reported by FIFA, the service (SMPS) will be available to all players of the 32 participating teams through a specific monitoring, reporting and moderation system designed to reduce the visibility of hate speech directed to them and protect them. as well as his followers.
The president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, assured that the body is “committed to providing the best possible conditions for the players to perform to the best of their abilities” and expressed his satisfaction with this service that “will help protect they from the harmful effects that social media posts can have on your mental health and well-being.”
The president of FIFPRO and the Association of Spanish Soccer Players (AFE), David Aganzo, agreed to emphasize the responsibility of soccer to “protect the players and other affected groups against the abuse that they especially faced in their workplace and their environment”.
“This type of abuse has a profound impact on their personalities, their families, their performance, as well as their overall well-being and mental health. We hope that the service will be a starting point to help defend participants from abusive messages. , and for social media companies to join us and support us in dealing with the issue at the FIFA World Cup,” he added.
The initiative announced by FIFA was supported by Brazilian striker Willian, who was subjected to such abuse with his family when he played for his country, forcing him to return to England, where he now plays for Fulham.
“I suffered a lot and my family too, because people started attacking us on social media, attacking my family, my daughters, and that’s why I now support FIFA to see if you can stop this kind of thing.” pointed.
The accounts of all participants are monitored
The launch of the service follows the publication of two independent reports prepared by FIFA and FIFPRO in June 2022, which confirmed an increase in posts with abusive messages towards footballers during international competitions.
FIFA explained that it monitors the accounts of all participants to look for public-facing comments of an offensive, discriminatory and threatening nature and, when detected, to report them to social networks and legal authorities, so that they take action in the real world against those who break the rules.
In this regard, teams, players and other participants will also be able to opt for a moderation service that will instantly hide abusive and offensive comments on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, preventing them from being seen by recipients and their followers.
FIFA pointed out that with FIFPRO, in addition to this service, they are contacting social media platforms to have their support when it comes to being part of the solution.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
