UK Sport has signed a major contract worth over £300,000 to provide a new AI-based system for detecting and hiding online abuse from British athletes. The Social Protect app will offer protection across various platforms including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and will cover all UK athletes until the 2028 Olympics.
The deal comes amid growing concerns about the impact of social media on athletes' mental wellbeing and performance. UK Sport's director of performance, Kate Baker, stated that online abuse is unacceptable and the company cannot do nothing to address it.
Kirsty Gilmour, a three-time Olympic badminton athlete, has been subjected to death and rape threats during her career, but feels reassured by the new protection offered through Social Protect. "It feels empowering and like a real force field around my little corner of the internet," she said.
The app uses AI to scan incoming social media posts in real time and automatically hide abusive content or words that athletes find upsetting. However, it is not compatible with platform X (formerly Twitter), where 82% of abuse sent to football managers and players originated.
The deal comes amid growing concerns about the impact of social media on athletes' mental wellbeing and performance. UK Sport's director of performance, Kate Baker, stated that online abuse is unacceptable and the company cannot do nothing to address it.
Kirsty Gilmour, a three-time Olympic badminton athlete, has been subjected to death and rape threats during her career, but feels reassured by the new protection offered through Social Protect. "It feels empowering and like a real force field around my little corner of the internet," she said.
The app uses AI to scan incoming social media posts in real time and automatically hide abusive content or words that athletes find upsetting. However, it is not compatible with platform X (formerly Twitter), where 82% of abuse sent to football managers and players originated.
It's about time we take online abuse seriously, especially in the sports world where mental wellbeing can be a major issue. Kirsty Gilmour's story is just heartbreaking - death and rape threats? No athlete should ever have to go through that! 
The fact that Social Protect is offering protection across multiple platforms is a huge step forward. I do wonder why they can't get it working with platform X, though... 82% of abuse comes from there, after all 
. As a fan of UK sports, I've seen some pretty harsh stuff go down in the world of professional athletes. It's terrifying for them and their families. The fact that this new app is available on all major platforms except one (which does seem like a weird omission considering how bad it is) is a good start 
. I hope this app really makes a difference for athletes like Kirsty Gilmour who've been through the wringer. Mental health is so important, and online abuse can be devastating 
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. We need more support for our sports stars, especially when it comes to their mental wellbeing 
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UK Sport just signed a huge contract for an AI-based system to protect British athletes online and its about time! 
I mean, think about it, athletes are already under so much pressure and now they have to deal with cyberbullies too? 
still, any protection they can get is worth it and I'm glad UK Sport is taking this seriously 
. £300k might seem like a lot, but I think it's a drop in the ocean compared to the mental health toll it can take on them. And, honestly, it's not just about the money, it's about creating a culture where athletes feel safe online 
. Social Protect sounds like a lifesaver for all the athletes out there! Fingers crossed it makes a real difference 
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cant they do better with the money or somethin? also i wonder how does this AI thing work, is it super accurate? and what if someone just makes a fake account to try and get around the system? 
. but its a bit weird that its not compatible with platform X, dont they use that one too? 
It's about giving them a sense of security and empowerment, especially for someone like Kirsty Gilmour who's had to deal with some pretty horrific abuse in her career.
It's like they're just trolling everyone at this point. 82% of abuse originated from their platform?! That's wild! 
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. But, I have to wonder why they're not including platform X in the initial rollout 
It's crazy how common it is, especially among female athletes like Kirsty Gilmour, who's spoken out about getting death threats 
. Hopefully, this will help create a safer online environment for everyone 
. Kirsty Gilmour's personal experience with death threats and rape threats is chilling, but it's reassuring to see her feeling more secure with the introduction of Social Protect 
. However, it's puzzling that platform X (formerly Twitter) is excluded from the app's compatibility, given the alarming statistics on abuse originating from this platform 
) and it feels like this is just a Band-Aid solution. Can we really rely on AI to solve this problem without looking at the root cause? 
They should really look into why that is happening and see if they can't do something about it too. Still, I guess it's a start and more athletes will have access to this protection now 
is like a super smart computer or something? so they're gonna use this "ai" thingy to find online bad stuff about athletes? that's kinda cool, but also super sad cuz people are being mean to each other on the internet... and yeah, it would've been better if it was compatible with platform x too 
I mean, mental health matters so much for athletes and it's time we get this tech sorted 
gotta root for the underdog who's been through so much 
️! I'm glad to hear that Kirsty Gilmour feels more empowered with this new protection around her online presence 
