FIFA strengthens online safety measures to combat abuse on social media

Sunday 16 November 2025 - 15:30

By: Sahili Aya

FIFA strengthens online safety measures to combat abuse on social media

FIFA announced on Sunday that it has reinforced its online safety and content-moderation system, expanding the service available to all players, teams, officials and member associations throughout the year. This initiative aims to counter the rising tide of online abuse targeting football stakeholders during international competitions.

According to the organisation, more than 30,000 abusive posts were flagged by the moderation service in 2025 alone, as part of enhanced monitoring across major social platforms. Since its launch in 2022, the system has identified over 65,000 hateful or discriminatory messages, including 30,000 detected since January 2025.

In addition to moderation, FIFA has taken legal actions in several cases. Eleven individuals have been reported to public authorities in countries including Argentina, Brazil, Spain, the United States, France, Poland and the United Kingdom for verbal attacks linked to FIFA tournaments. One case has even been submitted to Interpol for an international investigation, and offenders may be barred from attending FIFA events through a “blacklist” mechanism restricting ticket access.

During the first FIFA Club World Cup featuring 32 teams, the system monitored 2,401 active accounts across five platforms. In total, 5.9 million posts were analysed and more than 20,000 hateful messages were flagged for removal.

“Football must be a safe and inclusive space, both online and offline. FIFA is taking concrete steps to protect the football community from the harm caused by online abuse,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino. “Violent behaviour has no place in our sport, and we will continue working with authorities to sanction perpetrators.”

The upgraded moderation service identifies and blocks abusive content before it reaches its recipients, while collecting data to support disciplinary measures and strengthen long-term protection against hate speech.

With this initiative, FIFA aims to send a clear message: the fight against discrimination and online violence is a top priority, and football must remain a place of respect and integrity.