First launched at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, FIFA’s service has since hidden 2.6 million abusive comments from public view.
FIFA has announced that its pioneering Social Media Protection Service (SMPS) will now be available to all 211 member associations and their teams.
Coinciding on the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, the announcement came as global teams are competing in the European Football Championship and set to play in the upcoming Copa America.
Players, coaches, officials, and teams involved in both tournaments and all 211 member associations and their teams can now use the service to protect themselves against online abuse.
The tool was developed by FIFA and the players’ union FIFPRO. According to a FIFA report, when it was first launched at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, SMPS found about 20,000 abusive social media posts aimed at players, coaches, and officials.
The biggest spike in abuse came after England’s quarter-final loss to France when Harry Kane missed a late penalty to save his team from elimination.Â
SMPS was then offered to all teams at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.Â
So far, FIFA said SMPS has analysed 30 million posts and comments about 3,381 player and 160 team accounts across 11 FIFA events, including tournaments, qualifiers, and friendlies.Â
Since its launch, the service has also hidden 2.6 million abusive comments from public view.
“We have already seen how effective the service has been in FIFA tournaments, and it is only logical that we make it available to all 211 FIFA Member Associations – wherever and whenever they play,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said upon the announcement of SMPS.
Once registered, the service hides abusive comments on the social media accounts of players, coaches, officials, and teams, protecting them from various forms of hate speech.
SMPS also prevents followers of players, coaches, and teams from being exposed to abusive, discriminatory, and threatening posts.
The tool will also be active during upcoming FIFA events such as the Olympic Football Tournaments at the Paris Olympics, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2024 in Colombia, the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2024 in Uzbekistan, and the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2024 in the Dominican Republic.
