Tag Archives: online abuse

Beyond the Final Whistle at the FIFA World Cup: The Growing Crisis of Social Media Abuse in Professional Sport

By Wayne Barnes, Mariyam Harunah and Peter Lees on Posted in Discrimination, Governance, Social Media, Technology
The 2026 FIFA World Cup may have been the biggest ever staged, with 48 teams taking part – but it has also contributed to a staggering rise in online abuse. The high-profile racist attack on Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappé by a Paraguayan senator is just the tip of the iceberg. On 1 July 2026, … Continue Reading

How Sports Clubs and Governing Bodies are Protecting Their Officials and Athletes

By Wayne Barnes, Grace King and Olivia Canessa Davies on Posted in Artificial Intelligence, Discipline, Discrimination, European Sport, Governance, Health & Wellbeing, Law, Rules and regulations, Social Media, Technology, Technology in Sport
Former Arsenal Manager, Arsène Wenger famously said “We have gone from a vertical society to a horizontal society where everybody has an opinion about every decision you make, and everybody has an opinion on the Internet straight away.”[1] In 2024, Wenger’s words could not be more relatable. The internet has many wonderful features. It allows … Continue Reading

Tackling Online Abuse In Sport: The UK’s Online Safety Act 2023

By Dannielle Jones and Olivia Canessa Davies on Posted in Discipline, Discrimination, Governance, Government, Law, Rules and regulations, Social Media, Technology, Technology in Sport
After years in the making, the Online Safety Act (the “OSA”) has come into force after receiving Royal Assent on 26 October 2023 (as discussed in our blog here). Amidst the proliferation of social media use, there has been a worrying increase in the levels of abuse that players, athletes, officials, managers, coaches and other … Continue Reading
LexBlog