PARIS: Members of sporting, political, business and civil society organizations have pledged their support for the new United Against Online Abuse coalition, which was launched at a conference organized by motorsport’s world governing body, or FIA, in Paris this week.

Those in attendance at the UAOA event included representatives from FIFA, UNESCO, Peace and Sport, and TikTok.

Amelie Oudea-Castera, France’s minister of sport, said: “Performance (in sport) cannot be at any price. The well-being of the athletes, their development, and their serenity as human beings … must be a priority. That is why my ministry has signed the United Against Online Abuse charter.”

Participants heard firsthand the experiences of top athletes, including Olympian and taekwondo champion Pascal Gentil, and rally driver Burcu Cetinkaya.

Cetinkaya, who is also the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission chair, shared her experiences as a survivor of online abuse.

Arwen.AI, a company using artificial intelligence to automatically detect and remove hate messages from social media platforms, presented data regarding the extent of online abuse and the impact of their tools.

The company found that 67 percent of social media users are less likely to engage with online content if they feel unsafe. Removing hateful comments saw a 56 percent rise in engagement on posts.

This data follows the UAOA’s findings from its barometer survey launched earlier this year. The study found that 75 percent of athletes have experienced physical threats, whilst over 90 percent agreed that if online abuse is not addressed, it will drive them away from their sports.

Throughout the conference, education was highlighted as a key factor to help eradicate online abuse.

The coalition has launched the United Against Online Abuse Educational Module, a free, open-access program, which explains the role of policymakers, international federations, and social media platforms in preventing and countering abuse.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA’s president and founder of the UAOA campaign, said: “This conference was an opportunity for leaders and experts to come together and collaborate on our united mission to combat online abuse.

“I thank all who have pledged their support for this coalition and urge the wider global community to come together and join us in this important fight.”

The UAOA campaign includes national governments, regulatory institutions and sporting bodies.

Support for the campaign has come from the governments of Albania, Australia, Belgium, Costa Rica, France, Greece, Malaysia, Slovenia and Spain. There have also been endorsements from Peace and Sport, the International Esports Federation, and ASETEK SimSports. 

Those expected to record their support are FIFA, the International Olympic Committee, the International Tennis Federation, World Athletics, World Netball and World Squash.