IOC and NCAA Tackle Online Abuse in Sports, Analyzing 2.4 Million Posts and Identifying 8,900 Abusive Accounts

Oct 10, 2024, 04:11 PM

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has conducted the largest online abuse prevention program in sports history ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics. The initiative analyzed 2.4 million posts in over 35 languages and identified 8,900 unique accounts responsible for sending abusive messages. Concurrently, the NCAA has released its first online harassment study, which highlights the prevalence of online abuse in college sports. The pilot study flagged over 72,000 messages, with more than 5,000 categorized as abusive, targeting student-athletes, coaches, and officials. The NCAA has called on fans and social media platforms to take action against online harassment, resulting in law enforcement referrals for several identified perpetrators. Notably, the study found that women's basketball players were among the most frequent targets of such abuse.