Rugby’s world governing body has promised zero-tolerance of online abuse to protect match day officials and players during the Rugby World Cup in France this autumn.
World Rugby is partnering with a data science and artificial intelligence (AI) company Signify Group who will use its AI-driven Threat Matrix service to cover tournament match officials, players and coaches. The service will include:
– real-time monitoring from open-source data on platforms including X [formerly Twitter] and Instagram across the tournament;
– Coverage in 30 languages including images and emojis;
– Daily reporting of abusive content and accounts to platforms for the platforms to act;
– the expediting of abusive content take-down/sanctioning of account holders – where platform community guidelines are evidenced to have been broken;
– providing of evidence to national rugby associations to ban offenders from domestic and international rugby events.
Organisers add that the worst cases have the potential to be reported to relevant law enforcement agencies and an ability to unmask the worst abusers who hide behind ‘fake’ accounts.
World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: “Rugby is a sport for everyone and we take our responsibility very seriously to make the sport as inclusive, accessible and relevant as possible. This includes sending a strong message that online hate simply will not be tolerated, tackling abuse and harmful content with meaningful action.”
World Rugby Chief Communications Officer Dominic Rumbles added: “Doing everything we can to set a good example and protect players and match officials is important to World Rugby and our unions, and extending that welfare to the arena of social media is both logical and timely.
“Abuse, on or off the field, has no place in our game and today’s announcement shows just how focused we are in tackling online hate aimed at the rugby family – working in partnership with proven experts Signify. This development also reflects our wider tournament goals to drive positive change and celebrate togetherness and unity; all part of a wider journey that World Rugby is very much focused on delivering.”
Threat Matrix uses AI and open source forensic investigation techniques and was launched in 2020. Visit www.signify.ai.
Last year a man was given a community sentence after he was found guilty of sending a ‘grossly offensive’ email to the England football manager Gareth Southgate after a team loss.
