Wimbledon has implemented the use of artificial intelligence to protect its tennis players from online harassment. The AI-powered system monitors platforms in real-time, identifying keywords, phrases, and patterns that indicate harassment or abuse.
This process is based on machine learning algorithms that have been trained to recognize inappropriate behaviors. By identifying these patterns, AI can alert human moderators, who can take the necessary steps to block offending users or remove inappropriate content.
Jamie Baker, a former tennis player and current tournament director, told The Guardian that Wimbledon has incorporated a social media monitoring service called Threat Matrix. This system, developed by the artificial intelligence company Signify Group, will also be implemented at the US Open.
How tennis players’ social networks are monitored at Wimbledon
During tournaments of the magnitude of Wimbledon, tennis players receive a considerable volume of messages on social networks. AI can analyze and process large amounts of data quickly. This allows for a faster and more efficient response to cases of abuse.
Baker mentioned that the AI-powered service is supported by people who monitor accounts. Players can opt for a more comprehensive service that analyzes abuse or threats in private direct messages.
He also explained that Wimbledon will consult players about cases of abuse before reporting them to social media companies for removal or to the police if necessary.
“We wouldn’t take any of those steps without really interacting with the player and their teams to try to get a sense of what’s going on,” he said.
What the online harassment landscape looks like for tennis players
Wimbledon reported that Threat Matrix conducted a study in which it monitored more than 1.6 million public posts on X and 19,000 comments on Instagram sent to 454 players who competed in various professional tennis tournaments in 2022. They found that one in four players was a victim of abuse. The study identified 546 offensive posts from 438 accounts.
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) commented that the number of players affected by online harassment is on the rise and urged social media executives to improve the security of their platforms.
How to report a comment on Instagram
Instagram is one of the most used social networks by public figures, who can become the subject of hateful comments. However, anyone, without having to be a recognized tennis player, can receive this type of unwanted comments. To report them, you have to consider this step by step:
- Select the comment.
- Choose the ‘Report’ option.
- Select the reason for the report. Some of the reasons offered by Instagram are bullying, false information, violence, sale of illegal items. If there is no option that suits the specific case, the user can click on ‘Other reason’.
- Click ‘Send report’.
How to Block an Instagram Account
In addition to reporting content shared by an account, users also have the ability to block it. If this is the case, you need to follow these steps:
- Go to the account you want to block.
- Select the three dots located in the upper right corner of the profile.
- Choose ‘Block’.
When one user blocks another on Instagram, several restrictions are applied to prevent any future interaction between both accounts. The blocked user will not be able to find the profile of the user who blocked them, nor see their posts, stories, or highlights.
As for direct messages, past conversations between both users will remain in their respective inboxes, but they will not be able to send new messages to each other. If you’re both in the same chat group, Instagram will offer the option to leave or stay in the group without interacting with the blocked person.
The blocking user will not receive any notification of interaction attempts from the blocked user.
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