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Ben Sulayem hails 'safety for all' as FIA, US university to combat online abuse in sport
The joint goal is to 'foster a safer inclusive online environment for athletes, teams, and fans worldwide'
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, has announced a landmark research collaboration to strengthen the global response to online abuse in sport.
The agreement with the University of Notre Dame, a leading research university in the United States, will focus on the causes, impact, and prevention of online abuse in sport, including the emerging role of artificial intelligence (AI) in both the spread of harmful content and the development of potential solutions.
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Additionally, they will examine how online abuse intersects with identity, alongside athlete experiences, mental health, and the regulatory response of sports federations.
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The University of Notre Dame and the United Against Online Abuse (UAOA) campaign, founded in 2022 by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, are collaborating to address the growing challenge of online abuse in sports.
Speaking at the SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Ben Sulayem said: “I look forward to working with the University of Notre Dame, one of the world’s leading research institutions, to explore innovative, AI-powered solutions and to develop evidence-based strategies to ensure a safer and more inclusive sporting environment for all. Our joint goal is to foster a safer inclusive online environment for athletes, teams, and fans worldwide.”
Using AI-enabled solutions alongside surveys and policy research, the project will track harassment trends and identify risks. It also introduces digital literacy workshops and a “Digital Civility and Safety Quest” to help youth navigate online spaces safely. Together, these efforts aim to protect athletes and foster safer digital communities around sport.
The findings of this analysis will contribute to research papers, including the UAOA Barometer report, the leading annual study on online abuse in sport, helping to shape practical policy considerations for creating safer online spaces across the global sporting community.
The University of Notre Dame also signed the UAOA Charter, making it an official member of the global coalition and the eighth academic institution to endorse the UAOA campaign.
UAOA’s expansion into the US is particularly notable given the country’s deep-rooted sports culture, where major leagues such as the NFL, NBA, and MLB attract millions of fans and generate intense online engagement.
The FIA’s UAOA campaign is a research-led coalition supported by the FIA Foundation. The campaign has witnessed rapid growth in recent months and was recently awarded Peace and Sport’s prestigious Coalition for Peace award.
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