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In an Australia first, the A-League and Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) have struck a deal with technology provider, GoBubble Community, to shield the organisations’ social media channels from abusive, derogatory, harmful and offensive language.

Providing a discrete automated solution that hides hateful comments on social media channels, GoBubble Community technology is being applied to all A-Leagues clubs and players, aiding the mental wellbeing of A-Leagues footballers, as well as the community of managers who run the official club social media channels.

The initiative was trialled on 25th and 26th February on the Twitter profiles of Adelaide United, Melbourne Victory and the Central Coast Mariners during the Pride Game double header.

A-Leagues Chief Executive, Danny Townsend advised “we want the A-Leagues to be the most welcoming and safe place at every level - in our online communities and in real life.

“There is no place for online abuse in our game, and this move is part of our duty of care to players and our fans. GoBubbleCommunity’s technology shields anyone who follows player, club and league accounts from seeing harmful abuse and keeps our communities safe.”

PFA Co-Chief Executive, Kathryn Gill added “social media is a powerful tool that allows players to connect and positively engage with fans, promote their careers and clubs, and share their development as people on and off the pitch.

“But their presence on these platforms unfortunately exposes them to hate and abuse which has no place in our sport or society. This partnership with GoBubble Community continues our commitment to addressing the issue of online harm in partnership with the APL – and ensures we protect the wellbeing of our players and encourages positive experiences online.”

Launched last year, GoBubble Community uses machine-learning based software that monitors social media accounts in order to identify and deal with abusive, derogatory, harmful or offensive content.

Its founder, Henry Platten, commended the A League for taking a lead to roll out use of this technology across all affiliated clubs and hoped the approach would be replicated by sports governing bodies across the globe.

Platten advised "the A League is taking the lead to roll out use of this technology across all clubs, and we now hope to see this approach replicated by sports governing bodies across the globe. This powerful step will protect teams, players and communities from online abuse, and promote a positive and supportive virtual experience across their social channels.”

As signatories of eSafety’s Commitment to Online Safety in Sport, A-Leagues and PFA see this move as an important further step in helping to keep all Australians safe online, and a key prevention strategy for athletes and staff who are targets of online abuse.

Click here to find out more about GoBubble Community on their website. 

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