Cricket has taken a significant step in combating online harassment by conducting a comprehensive social media moderation trial during the Women’s T20 World Cup. The trial, powered by GoBubble’s AI tool, analyzed over 1.4 million comments across 60 player and eight team accounts, revealing that nearly 20% were harmful or generated by bots.
The initiative was driven by the ICC’s commitment to creating a safer environment for players, particularly in light of the growing attention on women’s cricket. Earlier research by ESPNcricinfo highlighted the prevalence of abuse directed at female players, making the focus on women’s accounts crucial.
The GoBubble tool employs two strategies: identifying abusive language in multiple languages and personalizing filters for specific players or teams. It also detects bots promoting unrelated content.
Sinalo Jafta, the South African wicketkeeper-batter, has been a vocal advocate for the initiative. Prior to the service, she relied on others to remove abusive comments from her social media accounts. She believes the AI tool will empower players to share content more freely.
The ICC aims to inspire more women and girls to play cricket. Finn Bradshaw, the ICC’s Head of Digital, emphasized that online abuse can deter young players from pursuing the sport. The moderation service aims to alleviate this concern.
Currently, the service is available to women’s players until 2025, with plans to extend it to male players based on demand. The ICC will evaluate the trial’s effectiveness and produce a report.
