Published:
2 August 2022
Last updated:
16 March 2023
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Ofcom @Ofcom· Aug 2
Online abuse against football players, and other public figures, is a growing concern. As Ofcom prepares for a new role overseeing online safety, we wanted to understand the problem of online abuse in more detail.
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1531917350940844035/uLL91FMj_400x400.jpg)
Ofcom @Ofcom· Aug 2
We commissioned The Alan Turing Institute to analyse more than 2.3 million tweets directed at Premier League footballers over the first five months of the 2021-22 season.
This allowed us to examine whether large-scale data analysis and machine learning techniques can shed light on the prevalence and nature of harmful content.
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1531917350940844035/uLL91FMj_400x400.jpg)
Ofcom @Ofcom· Aug 2
Read the full report: Tracking abuse on Twitter against football players in the 2021-22 Premier League season (PDF, 3.6 MB)
![2.3 million tweets analysed 7 in 10 players have been targeted by abusive tweets Abusive tweet sent every 4 minutes 50% of all abuse is directed at just 2% of players 1 in 14 targeted by abuse every day](/siteassets/resources/images/-news-centre/body-images/2022/football-abuse-research/football-nr.png)