About
At Freedom2hear, we understand that online toxicity doesn’t just disrupt conversations - it erodes trust, damages wellbeing, and silences voices that matter. One Premier League football club came to us facing exactly that challenge: a surge in spam bots and harmful comments across their social media channels.
They weren’t looking for blanket censorship. They wanted precision - removing only the most damaging content while preserving space for authentic debate and fan expression.
This case reinforces a core Freedom2hear principle: moderation isn’t just a safety tool - it’s a strategic lever for engagement, respect, and community resilience.
Challenge
A major UK Premier League football club with millions of global followers found its digital channels under siege - not from critics, but from bots, spam, and targeted abuse. The volume wasn’t just disruptive; it was demoralising. Internal teams were spending hours firefighting toxic content, while genuine fan voices were drowned out.
They didn’t want censorship. They wanted clarity. During onboarding with Freedom2hear, they made it clear: preserve the pulse of debate, but protect the safety of players, creators, and fans. Our moderation protocols were designed to intercept only the most harmful content -hate speech, bot interference, and targeted abuse - while leaving space for authentic engagement.
Freedom2hear doesn’t moderate to silence - we moderate to protect. And when protection is done right, trust returns, creativity flourishes, and communities reconnect.
Solution
Strategic moderation
We deployed targeted filters to remove hate speech, bot spam, and abusive language - without compromising genuine engagement.
Operational partnership
Our team worked closely with the club’s digital leads to align moderation with brand values and community tone.
Real-Time safeguarding
Harmful content was intercepted within seconds, protecting players, creators, and fans alike.
Results
During the 2024–25 season, approaching 10 million comments crossed the club’s social media platforms – an increase of 48% on the 2023-24 season.
Among these were scams, pornographic links, and illegal match‑stream promotions. By intercepting this content, Freedom2hear not only protected players, creators, and fans, but also safeguarded the wider ecosystem.
These results demonstrate that targeted moderation isn’t just a technical solution — it’s a strategic imperative. By removing toxicity at scale, safeguarding commercial partners, and protecting the emotional bandwidth of internal teams, Freedom2hear enabled the club to reclaim its digital space, restore trust with its audience, and focus on what matters: authentic engagement, creative growth, and community resilience.
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