The online abuse faced by Irish athletes has reached “disturbing levels,” according to United Against Online Abuse in Sport (UAOA).
The coalition convened a forum in Dublin yesterday to address what they describe as a “growing epidemic” of hate speech targeting athletes on the internet.
Among the attendees were Irish sports stars, including former tennis player Jenny Claffey, Irish rugby player Leah Tarpey and Tom Parsons, chair of the Gaelic Players Association and former Mayo footballer.
One key proposal discussed was the establishment of an international Trusted Flagger entity for sports organisations under the EU Digital Services Act.
This entity would expedite the handling of complaints and the removal of abusive comments.
Irish base
Kirby Tarrant, partner in charge of Clarke Hill, legal advisors to UAOA, suggested Ireland as an ideal base for such an entity.
“Ireland already has an experienced and robust regulatory and legal system with the necessary expertise,” he said.
“Dublin hosts the EMEA headquarters for social media giants such as Google, Meta/Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Other major online platforms also have a significant presence here.”
“Online abuse in sports is not just a problem for athletes and teams; it impacts sponsors, fans, and the sports community as a whole,” Tarrant added.
Kirby Tarrant, Jenny Claffey, Ger Gilroy, Leah Tarpey, Tom Parsons and Aidan Eames at yesterday's forum. Image: Supplied.UAOA coalition founder Mohammed Ben Selayem highlighted the seriousness of the abuse received by athletes.
“Imagine training your entire life for a dream only to be bombarded with threats and hate online. That’s the reality for 75% of athletes today,” he said.
“If we remain idle and athletes are driven from their sports due to online abuse, we will lose the very spirit of competition.”
The UAOA coalition has received endorsements from the governments of Albania, Belgium, France, Greece, Malaysia, Slovenia, Spain, and several international sports federations, including FIFA, the IOC, the ITF, World Athletics, World Netball, and World Squash.
Main image: The UAOA forum held in Dublin yesterday. Image: Sup
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