2023-05-29 06:30:00
The French Tennis Federation has joined forces with Bodyguard to protect all participants in the Paris Grand Slam from cyberbullying.
Par Anthony Denay
© URBANANDSPORT / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP
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Sorti under the boos of the Estoril public in April 2022, when he had just lost in the first round of the Portuguese tournament after a meeting punctuated by verbal passes of arms between the French tennis player and the local public , Benoît Paire took out his smartphone as soon as he returned to the locker room. It was too much for the Avignonnais, victim of a dump of insults and online threats that he hastened to make public on his Twitter account. With the following question: “Do you find that normal, do you? »
Another tricolor player had already taken the same step in July 2021, following a poor performance at the Cluj Open (Romania): Alizé Cornet had split a message full of irony embellishing a screenshot showing messages of insults of rare violence, between denigration, misogyny and threats of rape. The Frenchwoman had completed with these words: “It seems that the mental health of athletes is in tune with the times… We understand better why! »
READ ALSORoland-Garros: “Everyone had the Covid and we said nothing”, accuses CornetCaroline Garcia, Gaël Monfils, Hugo Gaston, Pierre-Hugues Herbert, but also several international stars… All have joined in this denunciation of an increasingly widespread practice that can cause devastating effects on the mental health of players, even to depression.
An “integrity unit” set up in 2019
This Monday, May 22, 2023, the first balls are hit on the annex courts of Roland-Garros as part of the qualifications. A large audience came to enjoy the spring sunshine at the Porte d’Auteuil, less than a week before the entry into the running of the French and international top names. The director general of the French Tennis Federation (FFT), Caroline Flaissier, who succeeded the current Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, strolls through the aisles, asking about the first impressions of the spectators. .
READ ALSORoland-Garros 2023: Van Assche, Fils, Müller… the French to discoverThis Roland-Garros vintage 2023 is his first in this position. It will also be the first time that the Bodyguard solution, named after the company created in 2018 by Charles Cohen and which has set itself the goal of combating cyberbullying, will be used. Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo officially announced the partnership at a press conference last April, saying it was going to be “canon for the mental well-being of players” and clear their minds. “The first contacts with the Federation date back to the end of 2022, informs Yann Guérin, sports director at Bodyguard. The FFT was immediately very receptive to our solution, it has been aware of these issues for some time now. »
In 2019, the FFT set up an “integrity unit” aimed at training and raising awareness among athletes about the intimidation and threats they may face on social networks. And this at all levels: from the clubs to the Pôle France de Poitiers, via the departmental committees and the regional leagues. However, curbing hate online required more resources, a digital “task force” capable of tracking hateful messages.
READ ALSOOnline Hate: Towards the End of the Digital Wild West“We want to put a spoke in the wheels of the “haters” and other malicious actors who abound on social networks. In other words, ban online toxicity,” underlines Yann Guérin. A mission that seems Herculean, the phenomenon has become so commonplace. And is growing concomitantly in another mode: online betting. A significant number of online hate mongers are often frustrated gamblers venting their anger on those they hold responsible for their disappointments.
Take legal action
How does Bodyguard actually work? “Our system replicates human moderation with the speed of machines and artificial intelligence,” explains Yann Guérin. The AI analyzes the context of a comment, determines its general meaning, its meaning, in order to determine if it is toxic or simply negative. »
The goal is obviously not to censor with all your might, but simply to ban what is illegal: death threats, racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia or any form of hatred. This is why Bodyguard reserves the right to take legal action, providing the competent authorities with screenshots and other evidence.
Finally, this question remains: what do the biggest stars of tennis, those who have the most subscribers on their accounts and mechanically arouse the most reactions, admiring as well as hostile, have to lose by not eradicating malicious remarks and denounce their authors? “For the most famous, this can harm their brand image, their reputation, their business,” explains Yann Guérin.
“For example, leaving insulting messages on your account aimed at one of your opponents can amount, in the minds of many people, to endorsing them. The negative effects can quickly appear. In addition, champions must protect their community, especially children who may come across these messages. One thing seems certain: it is difficult to encourage the youngest, who are born with these tools, to make careful and careful use of them. Question of generation, of time. It’s up to the FFT and Bodyguard to protect them from their dangers…
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