Online Protection for Athletes in Olympics

Arwen is pleased to announce our partnership with the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) and Sportradar to offer Team Germany (Team D) and Team Germany Paralympics (Team D Para) athletes comprehensive protection against online hate speech. This initiative utilises our cutting-edge AI technology to ensure a digital environment that is both secure and encouraging for athletes.

This strategic partnership involves the implementation of an AI-based hate speech filter on athletes' social media platforms. In addition to identifying the sources of hate messages, this technology also blocks toxic comments in real-time, thereby substantially improving the protection provided to athletes.

President Thomas Weikert of the DOSB highlighted the significance of this initiative, stating, "Hate and abuse on the internet are a problem that has existed for years but has become increasingly widespread in recent months." We continue to encounter articles about athletes who are subjected to the most severe forms of hostility and insults on social media. We are no longer willing to tolerate this, which is why we have formed a partnership with the Attorney General's Office of Hesse. The second component of our measures is the collaboration with Sportradar and Arwen. This approach is particularly designed to safeguard the athletes of Team D from hate and incitement on the internet, thereby also enhancing their mental health.

The DOSB Athletes' Commission Chair, Karla Borger, expressed her endorsement of this initiative: "I am confident that a significant number of athletes from Team D and Team D Para will capitalise on this opportunity. Anyone who has ever experienced the personal repercussions of such hateful comments can comprehend the impact it can have, particularly on mental health. We, the Athletes' Commission, are extremely pleased that the DOSB is currently implementing this measure.

Sportradar's Executive Vice President of Integrity, Rights Protection, and Regulatory Services, Andreas Krannich, emphasised the value of technology: "We are delighted to collaborate with the DOSB and the athletes of Team D and Team D Para." Technology allows us to safeguard athletes from online hatred more effectively than ever before. Sportradar is also able to identify the senders of the offensive comments. The AI technology of Arwen moderates hate comments, hides them on the athletes' social media platforms in real-time, and, at the same time, retains them for future investigations.

The AI-based hate speech filter will be available to Team D and Team D Para athletes from July through September, and its use is voluntary. This tool detects hate comments based on sophisticated algorithms and filters them out in real time, preventing them from appearing on athletes' channels. The comments are also saved and can be forwarded to law enforcement if needed.

In addition to this initiative, DOSB, DFB, and DFL have announced their cooperation with law enforcement authorities to address violent, racist, or discriminatory language on their channels. This collaboration involves the Central Office for Combating Internet Crime (ZIT) of the Frankfurt am Main Public Prosecutor's Office, ensuring a coordinated response across federal states.

Matthew McGrory, Founder and CEO of Arwen, added, "This week has been monumental for Arwen. On Tuesday, we announced our partnership with ATP to protect 300 tennis players, and today, we are thrilled to announce our collaboration with DOSB, marking another significant milestone. In just one week, we've extended our protection to over 350 athletes, ensuring they never have to face online toxicity.

With partnerships like ATP and DOSB, I feel closer than ever to achieving my mission of making social media a safe space again."


Read more about the press release here.