Cricket has concluded one of the largest social media moderation tests in sport, finding that almost a fifth of comments made on player or team social media pages are harmful or generated by bots.
All of the accounts monitored were from players or teams who opted into the service, offered by the ICC as a way to make the game safer for players, especially in light of the increased focus on women’s football.
“One of the goals of the ICC is to look at ways in which we can inspire as many women and girls as possible to play cricket,” Finn Bradshaw, ICC Director of Digital, told ESPNcricinfo. “We hear the stories of many women and girls; unfortunately, once they become a little more public, the abuse they receive online can be really inhibiting.
“The last thing you want is a teenager who has some talent and ability and then sees what’s happening to one of her heroes on social media and thinks, ‘I can’t deal with that.’ We know mental health is a big issue.” “. “Something going on around the world and social media can be terrible for mental health and so anything we can do to make that little girl’s decision to play cricket easier, we want to do.”
The GoBubble tool works in two ways: by selecting words that are abusive, both in English and other languages, and also customizing for specific players or teams, and by scanning for bots that advertise unrelated content on pages.
“There’s a whole range of words: bad language, slander or insults, but the best part about this software is that you can individualize it. If, for example, a player has had an unfortunate incident specific to him in the past and people follow the mention it, we can make sure those comments are hidden from them as well,” Bradshaw said. “There are a lot of bots that sell things that players or teams don’t want on your account, for example cryptocurrencies. They also block and clean everything, which means that for the average fan, the social media experience is better. ”
“That protection for me is very big because players can share their lives with the world without fear of being judged or criticized. I’m looking forward to seeing the changes, for people to be free and for players to be able to show the world who they really are.” are.”
Jafta of Sinaloa
He acknowledged that not all players would do the same, but now that they can rely on an artificial intelligence tool, he hopes they will feel more comfortable sharing content. “That protection for me is very great because players can share their lives with the world without fear of being judged or criticized,” he said in an ICC statement. “I really want to see the changes, for people to be free and for players to be able to show the world who they really are.”
Ultimately, both Jafta and the ICC want to encourage the positive use of social media to inspire the next generation of players. “For players who are comfortable with social media, we love working with them and finding ways to show their personality to fans because fandom starts with the player,” Bradshaw said. “A little boy falls in love with a player and it’s usually not just about whether he can hit a six, but about his personality and something that the boy sees reflected in that player.
“Social media is amazing for that and for players who feel comfortable doing it, it’s an amazing tool. And we want to make sure the experience is as enjoyable as possible for the player.”
Currently, female players can sign up for the service until the end of 2025 and the ICC is exploring the possibility of making it available to male players as well. “We wanted to do a test and see how it goes and we’ll produce a report,” Bradshaw said. “Then we will see if there is demand for this from male players.”
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s correspondent for South Africa and women’s cricket
