Online abuse is having a significant impact on the ability of sportspeople and pundits to do their jobs, live their lives and express themselves, according to new research published by Ofcom.
Ofcom teamed up with Kick It Out – the anti-discrimination body in sport – to hear directly from people working in sport who have suffered online hate and abuse.
They have previously explored the volume of hate and abuse faced by footballers on X (previously called Twitter), and researched the impact of online hate directed at members of the general public.
For many who work in sport, an online presence is not just a necessary part of their job, but vital for their career. They can connect with fans, keep up with discussions, and build a public profile that can lead to opportunities like sponsorship deals. But this can come at a cost.
Sportspeople and commentators thry spoke to recognised the inevitability of receiving criticism as figures with a public profile, but told that online abuse had become more common, sophisticated and normalised, and bleeds into their offline lives, impacting their families and friends.
Some said they were now more careful about when they went out and even felt the need to barricade themselves inside for fear of who they might meet outside. Others have received direct threats to them or family members.
One person said anonymously:
“I was very, very scared, I didn’t leave my house for a week because the impact of online abuse. And then the media writes about it and then it becomes this sort of overwhelming feeling of just dread that so many people are saying such horrible things about you, without you actually having done anything.”
People said that online hate affects their ability to do their jobs, influences career choices and limits what they feel able to say online and on-screen.
Some potential pundits have actively chosen not to apply for on-screen roles due to fears about potential online abuse.
Presenters told us they sometimes found themselves self-censoring to try and avoid too much online hate and abuse, while sportspeople said that online hate and abuse had the potential to undermine their confidence, affecting their performance.
Some have come off social media entirely or reduced their online presence by not actively posting content, jeopardising potential career opportunities.
Some of the online abuse people experience is illegal under UK law, such as some types of threatening or abusive behaviour and harassment.
In March, duties came into force under the Online Safety Act that mean platforms must assess the risk of UK users encountering illegal material and use appropriate measures to protect them from it.
However, much of the abuse people experience online is not illegal under UK laws. In due course, some platforms will be subject to additional duties under the Act, such as providing adult users with features that enable them to reduce the likelihood of encountering certain types of abusive and hateful content.
The people they spoke to who work in sport said they wanted platforms to enforce their terms of service and that the tools available today, such as blocking or muting, do not go far enough to help protect them and their families and friends against online hate and abuse.
Jessica Zucker, Online Safety Director at Ofcom, said:
“So many people who work in sport are subjected to vile abuse online. This is having a devastating impact on them, their livelihoods and their families, and no-one should have to put up with it.
“The UK’s new online safety laws mean tech firms now have to start protecting people on their sites and apps from illegal forms of abuse. And when all the rules are fully in force, some of the largest social media platforms will have to give users more control over what they see online.
“People with lived experience of harm online are at the heart of the rules we make and the action we take. We’ll be pushing companies hard to make their services safer by design, and holding them to account if they don’t.”
