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About
The International Cricket Council (ICC) faced a growing challenge: online abuse targeting women cricketers was becoming a barrier to participation, visibility, and wellbeing.
During the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, the ICC partnered with Freedom2hear to trial AI-driven moderation across player and team accounts. The goal was clear: protect players from racism, sexism, homophobia, and bot spam - without silencing authentic fan engagement.
Challenge
As global cricket viewership surged, so did the volume of online engagement - and with it, the risk of abuse. During major ICC tournaments, comment sections across player and team accounts became flashpoints for toxicity: bot spam, targeted harassment, and culturally charged abuse. The impact wasn’t just reputational - it was emotional. Players were exposed to waves of harmful content, often timed around match outcomes, selections, or moments of visibility.
For women cricketers especially, the stakes were higher. Abuse ranged from overt misogyny to more insidious forms of intimidation, threatening not just individual wellbeing but broader participation. The ICC’s digital and safeguarding teams recognised that without intervention, these patterns risked undermining their broader commitment to championing women in sport - by exposing players to harm, deterring future participation, and alienating fans who expect inclusive, respectful spaces.
The challenge was clear: protect players and uphold safeguarding standards across dozens of accounts, in multiple languages and cultural contexts, without silencing authentic fan debate. The ICC needed a moderation partner that could operate at scale, in real time, and with emotional intelligence. That’s where Freedom2hear stepped in.
Solution
Multilingual AI Moderation
Detecting and removing harmful content across languages and cultural contexts.
Real-Time Safeguarding
Offensive comments intercepted within seconds, even during match spikes.
Player-Centric Protection
Shielding athletes so they can share their stories without fear of harassment.
Operational Partnership
Aligning with ICC safeguarding goals and digital strategy.
Results
Freedom2hear’s intervention during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup delivered measurable protection at scale. Across 60 player and 8 team accounts, over 1.5 million comments were scanned in real time and toxicity removed including hate speech, misogyny, and bot-generated spam. This moderation was multilingual, culturally sensitive, and tournament-responsive - intercepting harmful content within seconds of posting.
Players reported a noticeable improvement in their digital experience, with fewer emotional flashpoints and greater confidence in sharing personal stories online. ICC safeguarding teams were able to shift from reactive clean-up to proactive oversight, freeing up internal capacity and reinforcing their commitment to athlete wellbeing.
The comment sections became safer, more inclusive spaces - where fans could engage without fear, and future athletes could see a digital environment that reflected the values of the sport
Freedom2hear’s work with the ICC demonstrates that safeguarding isn’t a side function - it’s central to participation, legacy, and growth. By protecting players and preserving authentic engagement, we help global organisations like the ICC turn digital risk into operational resilience. In sport, as in society, dignity must be defended - and moderation, done right, makes that possible.
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