Team GB Olympic & Paralympic athletes get online abuse protection
The app, called Social Protect, uses artificial intelligence to ensure that athletes see as few abusive messages sent to them as possible.
It automatically scans incoming social media posts on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube in real time, looking for over two million swear words and phrases in its database.
Any posts containing the terms will be automatically hidden from comment sections or replies to athletes; Athletes can also add words or phrases they find offensive.
Company founder Shane Britten likens the application to anti-virus software that runs unnoticed in the background.
“The goal is to keep the comment section clean of racism, hate, scams, and all the terrible things that can exist on social media,” he said.
However, the software is not perfect. The contract paid by UK Sport does not include social platform X, formerly known as Twitter, which BBC Sport research found was the source of 82% of abuse sent to football managers and players.
The terms of the agreement also mean that the system can only scan public posts; Malicious direct messages sent to athletes will continue to appear.
Some services can block offensive direct messages, but they require users to send private login details to external companies and are often more expensive.
