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UK Sport Funds £300,000 AI Shield for Olympic and Paralympic Athletes

The Social Protect app will hide abusive public comments in real time across major platforms.

Overview

  • UK Sport signed a contract with Social Protect to offer free protection through the Los Angeles 2028 cycle for thousands of eligible athletes.
  • The AI scans Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube for more than two million abusive terms and automatically hides flagged replies and comments.
  • The service does not cover X, which a BBC investigation found was responsible for a large share of abuse directed at soccer managers and players.
  • The system cannot block abusive direct messages, leaving inboxes unfiltered unless users opt for separate, more intrusive services.
  • Access extends to coaches, staff and family members, with deployment also planned around major domestic events hosted by UK Sport.