By TechnocratMedia
FIFA is launching a new digital service to crack down on online hate speech and discrimination during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The world sport’s governing body announced the development on Wednesday, according to Reuter.
According to FIFA, the service will protect over 830 World Cup players from abuse on social media during the Qatar tournament.
“FIFA is committed to providing the best possible conditions for players to perform to the best of their abilities,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said.
“At the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, we are happy to launch a service that will help to protect players from the damaging effects that social media posts can cause to their mental health and well-being.”
Also speaking, David Aganzo, the president of the worldwide representative organisation for professional footballers (FIFPRO), said it was football’s responsibility to protect players.
“This type of abuse has a profound impact on their personalities, their families, performance as well as on their overall well-being and mental health,” he said.
“We hope that the social media protection service provides a starting point to help to defend participants from abusive messages.
He also urged the social media companies to join and support the football governing body in tackling the issue at the FIFA World Cup.
According to him, FIFA will monitor the social media accounts of all participants at the World Cup, scanning for abusive, discriminatory and threatening comments and then reporting them to social networks and law authorities.
Teams, players and other individual participants will also be able to opt-in to a moderation service that will instantly hide abusive and offensive comments on social
The world football governing body published a report that revealed that more than half of the players in last year’s European Championship and Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) were subjected to discriminatory abuse online.
The report indicates that over 55% of EURO 2020 and AFCON 2022 Final players received some form of discriminatory abuse.
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