--- title: "IOC publishes Online Abuse and Sport report across Paris 2024 and Milano Cortina 2026; 24,700 abusive posts confirmed" sdDatePublished: "2026-08-07T13:14:00Z" source: "https://www.olympics.com/ioc/news/safe-sport-day-how-the-ioc-is-tackling-the-growing-threat-of-online-abuse-in-sport" topics: - name: "sport" identifier: "medtop:15000000" - name: "society" identifier: "medtop:14000000" - name: "science and technology" identifier: "medtop:13000000" - name: "crime, law and justice" identifier: "medtop:02000000" locations: - "Île-de-France" - "Italy" --- IOC publishes Online Abuse and Sport report across Paris 2024 and Milano Cortina 2026; 24,700 abusive posts confirmed Safe Sport Day: How the IOC is tackling the growing threat of online abuse in sport Safe Sport Day: How the IOC is tackling the growing threat of online abuse in sport Online abuse is an increasing threat to athletes, officials and sporting communities, with the scale and sophistication of harmful online behaviour continuing to evolve. As the world marks Safe Sport Day on 8 August, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has published a new report based on findings from its Cyber-Abuse Protection Service (CAPS), which analysed 4.3 million posts and comments across the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games , identifying nearly 25,000 abusive messages. The report highlights the scale of the challenge and shares practical insights to help sports organisations strengthen safeguarding and better protect their communities online. The IOC has published the Online Abuse and Sport report, highlighting results from its Cyber-Abuse Protection Service (CAPS). CAPS analysed 4.3 million posts and comments directed at more than 26,000 athletes' and officials' social media handles across the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. AI flagged approximately 242,000 posts and comments for human review, with analysts verifying around 24,700 abusive messages. Drawing on lessons from CAPS, the Online Abuse and Sport report highlights key findings from the IOC's efforts to prevent, detect and respond to online abuse during the Olympic Games. Operating 24 7 during each Games, CAPS combined AI-powered monitoring with human review to identify abusive content targeting athletes, teams, coaches and officials. Across Paris 2024 and Milano Cortina 2026, CAPS analysed 4.3 million posts and comments directed at more than 26,000 athletes' and officials' social media handles. The service monitored around 20,000 accounts and 45 languages during Paris 2024, and more than 6,000 accounts and 56 languages at Milano Cortina 2026. Overall, AI flagged approximately 242,000 posts and comments as potentially abusive for human review, including 152,000 during Paris 2024 and around 90,000 during Milano Cortina 2026. Analysts subsequently verified around 24,700 abusive posts and comments, including 10,200 at Paris and 14,500 at Milano Cortina, and identified approximately 18,900 unique accounts responsible for abusive messages (8,900 at Paris; ~10,000 at Milano Cortina). Content confirmed as abusive following human review prompted a coordinated response. The Cyber team engaged with the platform concerned, investigated the source of the abuse, and provided a report to support the affected person in determining potential next steps. In parallel, the IOC Safeguarding team activated the relevant procedures, prioritising severe abuse cases within 24 hours, and offering psychosocial support, CAPS was first deployed at Paris 2024 as the largest initiative ever commissioned in sport to monitor and protect participants from online abuse. Following its successful deployment, the service was extended to Milano Cortina 2026. Key considerations for sports organisations Online abuse is a significant safeguarding issue across sport and, while it takes place online, it does not remain confined to digital spaces and can cause real and lasting physical, psychological, reputational and economic harm. Abuse may target individual athletes, teams, officials, organisations or entire sporting communities, and can escalate rapidly in scale and intensity. A significant proportion of harmful online behaviour falls into the category of "lawful but awful" – content that does not meet thresholds for platform removal or criminal prosecution, yet can still cause real and lasting harm. This emphasises the need for prevention strategies, education and digital literacy, and response mechanisms that recognise the broader impact of online abuse. The rapid advancement of AI has increased the scale, sophistication and impact of online abuse in sport, including through AI-generated media, deepfakes, automated harassment campaigns and impersonation through fake accounts. The report concludes that cyber protection systems alone are not enough, noting the importance of combining technology with human oversight, welfare support, clear policies and collaboration. Strengthening safeguarding across the Olympic Movement The publication of the report forms part of the IOC's wider commitment to strengthening safe sport across the Olympic Movement. Through the work of the IOC Safeguarding Unit, Games-time safeguarding initiatives, educational resources and practical guidance, the IOC continues to strengthen safeguarding and support International Federations and National Olympic Committees in helping to ensure that athletes can train and compete in sporting environments that are fair, equitable and free from all forms of harassment and abuse. Learn more about the IOC’s work on safeguarding The Athlete365 x Powerade Mind Zone returns for Milano Cortina 2026 Mental health matters: athletes leading the way on World Mental Health Day IOC announces comprehensive mental health support for athletes at Milano Cortina 2026 Key facts The IOC has published the Online Abuse and Sport report, highlighting results from its Cyber-Abuse Protection Service (CAPS). CAPS analysed 4.3 million posts and comments directed at more than 26,000 athletes' and officials' social media handles across the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. AI flagged approximately 242,000 posts and comments for human review, with analysts verifying around 24,700 abusive messages.