IOC publishes online abuse report, seeks better protection of athletes
Geneva, Aug 7
The International Olympic Committee on Friday published the Online Abuse and Sport report from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, seeking better protection of athletes and safeguarding of the online communities.
Marking Safe Sport Day on August 8, the IOC published the findings from its Cyber-Abuse Protection Service (CAPS), identifying nearly 25,000 abusive messages from 4.3 million posts and comments across the two Games.
After monitoring around 20,000 accounts and 45 languages during Paris 2024, and more than 6,000 accounts and 56 languages at Milano Cortina 2026, AI flagged approximately 242,000 posts and comments as potentially abusive for human review, and subsequently verified around 24,700 abusive posts and comments, Xinhua reports.
"Online abuse is a significant safeguarding issue across sport and, while it takes place online, it does not remain confined to digital spaces and can cause real and lasting physical, psychological, reputational and economic harm," the IOC announced.
Although the content doesn't meet thresholds for platform removal or criminal prosecution, IOC said, these harmful online behaviors are still "lawful but awful".
"(It) can still cause real and lasting harm. This emphasizes the need for prevention strategies, education and digital literacy, and response mechanisms that recognize the broader impact of online abuse," IOC said.
Overall, AI flagged approximately 242,000 posts and comments as potentially abusive for human review, including 152,000 during Paris 2024 and around 90,000 during Milano Cortina 2026. Analysts subsequently verified around 24,700 abusive posts and comments, including 10,200 at Paris and 14,500 at Milano Cortina, and identified approximately 18,900 unique accounts responsible for abusive messages (8,900 at Paris; ~10,000 at Milano Cortina), the IOC said in a statement.
Content confirmed as abusive following human review prompted a coordinated response. The Cyber team engaged with the platform concerned, investigated the source of the abuse, and provided a report to support the affected person in determining potential next steps. In parallel, the IOC Safeguarding team activated the relevant procedures, prioritising severe abuse cases within 24 hours, and offering psychosocial support,
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is a global problem and I'm glad the IOC is addressing it. But I wonder how effective AI monitoring really is—especially with 45-56 languages. Slang and cultural nuances can easily be missed. Still, better than doing nothing. Kudos to the safeguarding team for prioritizing severe cases within 24 hours.
As someone who follows Indian athletics closely, I've seen the hate our female athletes face just for posting photos or celebrating wins. The "lawful but awful" concept is so true—many of these messages don't violate platform rules but are deeply damaging. Education and digital literacy are key, but we also need athletes to feel safe speaking up. 🙏
I appreciate the effort, but 18,900 unique accounts responsible for abuse is staggering. The IOC talks about coordinating with platforms, but what's the actual outcome? Do these accounts get banned? Most athletes don't have the resources to pursue legal action. We need concrete consequences, not just reports.
Yaar, this is good but let's be honest—Indian sports forums are full of toxicity too. I remember during the Tokyo Olympics, our own fans were abusing wrestlers for losing by a point. The IOC can publish reports, but real change starts with us as fans. Let's support our athletes with positivity instead of tearing them down. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳💪
Interesting data, but I'm skeptical about AI flagging 242,000 posts when only 10% were verified as abusive. That's a lot
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.