FIFA blocks over 7 million posts in World Cup social media protection service

FIFA's digital shield for World Cup participants has significantly ramped up its efforts to combat online abuse, blocking more than 7 million offensive posts and comments since the tournament began. This figure represents a dramatic 14-fold increase compared to the 470,000 posts removed during the 2022 World Cup.

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The FIFA social media protection service, a digital shield available to all participating teams, coaches, players, and referees in FIFA competitions, has blocked more than seven million potentially offensive posts and comments since the start of the World Cup.

The service also escalated its actions, reporting over 200,000 offensive and threatening posts and comments to authorities, a substantial rise from the 19,600 reported in 2022. FIFA's system, utilizing artificial intelligence, reviewed over half a million messages directed at players, coaches, and referees. Of these, more than 15,000 were flagged for further investigation, and over a thousand serious threats were passed on to law enforcement agencies.

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Listen, Speak Up, Act

Beyond direct moderation, FIFA is actively campaigning against hate speech in football. The current anti-racism campaign, themed 'Listen, Speak Up, Act,' urges fans and players to engage with the experiences of those affected by racism, intervene when incidents occur, and remain active allies. FIFA stated that the 2026 World Cup serves as an "unparalleled platform" to raise awareness and support for global priorities like education, health, peace, and combating discrimination. The campaign's messages reached over 15.2 million people across stadiums and fan zones before the final.

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an unparalleled platform to raise awareness about the importance of global priorities such as education, health, peace, and the fight against discrimination, and to provide them with support.