Team GB’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes will now receive cutting-edge protection from online abuse thanks to a new artificial intelligence system designed to detect and hide harmful messages across major social media platforms.

UK Sport — the government-backed body responsible for funding elite Olympic and Paralympic programs — has invested more than £300,000 into the initiative, which will support thousands of athletes from now through the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

The move comes amid rising concerns about the volume and severity of online harassment facing athletes, prompting UK Sport to take proactive and unprecedented action.

Kate Baker, UK Sport’s director of performance, described the decision as essential, saying:
“The level of abuse our athletes are facing online is unacceptable. Doing nothing is not an option.”

This marks the first time a national sporting body in the UK has purchased a large-scale AI safety system specifically to protect athletes.

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How the AI System Shields Athletes From Online Abuse

The platform, known as Social Protect, uses artificial intelligence to scan and filter harmful comments in real time. Once an athlete signs up — free of charge — the app monitors their social media accounts continuously throughout the Olympic cycle.

Key features include:

• Real-time scanning of comments on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube
• A database containing over two million abusive or offensive phrases
• Automatic hiding of comments that contain harassment, slurs, threats or other harmful language
• Optional, athlete-added custom word filters
• Background operation, similar to anti-virus software, without disrupting daily use

Shane Britten, the creator of Social Protect, explains the goal:
“The aim is to keep comment sections clean from racism, hatred, scams — all the horrible things that exist on social media.”

Limitations of the system

However, the protection does not cover everything.

• The contract does not include the platform X (formerly Twitter), despite research showing it is a major source of abuse toward athletes and coaches.
• The system cannot scan private direct messages, which can still contain harmful content.
  Some services can block or filter direct messages, but they require users to share sensitive log-in details and are often costly — something UK Sport opted not to pursue.

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Athletes Reveal the Impact of Online Abuse

Online abuse has targeted athletes across every sport since social media went mainstream in the mid-2000s. For some, the harassment has escalated into deeply harmful territory.

Badminton player Kirsty Gilmour, a three-time Olympian, has experienced serious abuse during her career — often linked to online gambling communities.

She has received threatening messages in the past, and in one instance even sought support from authorities overseas to investigate the situation.

Gilmour welcomed the new protective measures, saying the app gives her peace of mind:
“It feels empowering, like a force field around my little corner of the internet.”

She added that even non-explicit messages can be damaging:
“The threats aren’t good, but sometimes the ones that really hurt are about my career — telling me I’m bad at my job or that I should retire. With the app, I can filter out words that seem harmless but still affect me.”

Gilmour believes early intervention can help prevent abusive behaviour from escalating further.

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Why UK Sport Is Investing in Athlete Safety

The rise in online harassment has affected many high-profile British athletes. Tennis star Katie Boulter, England defender Jess Carter, and numerous Paralympians have spoken openly about the toll that social media abuse takes on their mental health and performance.

UK Sport says the aim of this new system is to provide long-term, consistent support — not just during the pressure of Olympic competition, but throughout the entire four-year cycle.

The protection will also extend beyond athletes themselves, covering:

• Coaches
• Support staff
• Family members
• Personnel at major UK-hosted sporting events

Kate Baker emphasised the importance of creating a safe digital environment:
“This agreement is central to ensuring athletes have the right support to be the best version of themselves — on and off the field.”

The initiative also highlights a broader trend: sports bodies taking matters into their own hands amid frustration over the slow responses from major social media companies.