Leagues A and Australia professional footballers (PFA) announced its partnership with GoBubble Community, an unobtrusive automated solution that hides hateful comments on social media.

Social media channels across an entire sports league (all A-League clubs and players) will be protected from abusive, derogatory, harmful, or offensive language through the deployment of GoBubble Community technology.

Hate speech is a growing and damaging problem online, which is why this decision, using the latest technology, puts safeguards in place to protect the well-being of A-Leagues footballers, as well as the managerial community who manage the clubs’ official social networks.

Danny TownsendCEO of A-Leagues, said: “Football has the unique power to connect people from all walks of life, and we want the A-Leagues to be the most welcoming and safest place at all levels – in our communities online and in real life. .

“There is no place for online abuse in our game, and this decision is part of our duty of care to players and our fans. GoBubbleCommunity’s technology protects anyone who follows player accounts, clubs and leagues against harmful abuse and keeps our communities safe.

Catherine GilCo-Chief Executive of PFA, said: “Social media is a powerful tool that allows players to connect and engage positively with fans, promote their careers and clubs, and share their development as than people on and off the pitch.

“But their presence on these platforms unfortunately exposes them to hate and abuse that has no place in our sport or our society.

“This partnership with GoBubble Community continues our commitment to solving the problem of online harm in partnership with the APL – and ensures that we protect the well-being of our players and encourage positive experiences online,” she said. added.

GoBubble Community uses machine learning-based software that monitors social media accounts to identify and address abusive, derogatory, harmful or offensive content.

And the automated solution, launched late last year, can be tailored to the needs of any organization and protect it from abuse in minutes.

Founder of GoBubble Henry Platten said: “The GoBubble community is proud to partner with A-Leagues and Professional Footballers Australia as they take a powerful stand to eradicate hate and discrimination online through the use of our innovative software.

“The A-League is taking the lead in rolling out the use of this technology to all clubs, and we now hope to see this approach replicated by the sport’s governing bodies around the world. This powerful step will protect teams, players and communities against online abuse and will promote a positive and supportive virtual experience on their social networks.

As proud signatories of the eSafety Commitment to Online Safety in Sport, A-Leagues and PFA view this decision as another important step to help keep all Australians safe online, and a strategy prevention tool for athletes and staff who are the target of online abuse.

Julie Inman GrantCommissioner eSafety, said: “These days we often see the cheapest seats in the house being behind a keyboard, with gamers being subjected to terrible online abuse in the course of their work.

“In November last year, we met with some of the biggest sporting codes in the country and pledged to work together to do more to protect players, coaches and support staff from online abuse.

“I think it’s great to see the A-Leagues and the PFA deliver on that commitment and take a proactive approach to protecting their athletes. eSafety will continue to push big tech companies to integrate Safety by Design into their platforms so that sports organizations don’t have to take matters into their own hands to keep their players safe on those platforms. And as always, eSafety is also here to help and all Australians can report serious online abuse to us at www.esafety.gov.au,” she added.

This announcement follows a successful trial between February 25 and 26 by A-Leagues and PFA, using the GoBubble Community software on the Twitter profiles of Adelaide Utd, Melbourne Victory and Central Coast Mariners, the clubs participating in the Pride Cup Dual Header.