Conducted across 18 international sports federations, the FIA-led survey has revealed online abuse “routinely” targets referees and officials.
It is the second such pulse check conducted by the FIA’s United Against Online Abuse campaign and comes a year after the publication of its first findings.
It reported that the majority of federations that responded reported threats of harm against competitors and their families, with misogyny and racism rising over the past year.
A key element of the report is that half of the respondents noted that “volunteers and officials are now routine targets, broadening the problem’s scope.”
“Last year UAOA highlighted the devastating personal toll online abuse has on competitors and athletes,” said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
“This second edition report has shone a light on the equally unacceptable abuse faced by officials and referees—essential members of the sporting community who ensure our competitions are conducted fairly, robustly, and with integrity.
“While it’s encouraging to see more federations adopting anti-abuse measures, these findings show that the scale of abuse is continuing to grow.
“UAOA’s work in 2025 will be critical in fostering collaboration across the sporting, political, and technology sectors to create meaningful, lasting solutions that protect all members of our community.”
Publication of the report comes shortly after changes were made to the FIA’s International Sporting Code.
An appendix covering penalties for misconduct was added in which hefty fines and potential bans were listed as penalty guidelines.
Many saw it at the time as an overreach by the governing body and an attempt to silence drivers.
While no official explanation was forthcoming for the addition, Speedcafe has learned from multiple sources that the intent is to address abuse of officials at lower levels of competition.
The findings of the latest report appear to provide the backdrop to the renewed focus on the misconduct elements of the International Sporting Code as highlighted by the newly published Appendix B.
Last year, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Yuki Tsunoda were penalised for their language at various points, the latter a result of a conversation with his race engineer over the radio.
However, the International Sporting Code applies to an array of competitions far below F1 level, and the Appendix is primarily aimed at those.
The survey’s findings also revealed that almost three-quarters of respondents believe a collaborative approach to the problem is needed, with 94 percent believing support from social media platforms is crucial to realising that change.
This belief comes as Facebook rolls back its fact-checking process, introducing a more open stance akin to that taken by Twitter/X under Elon Musk’s ownership.
However, arguably more worrying is that the federations believe the level of online abuse will drive athletes away from their respective sports.
Along with the FIA, the UCI (cycling), ITF (tennis), FIM (motorcycling), and a host of others, including World Esports, contributed to the survey.
The UAOA now intends to host regular online events and webinars on the topic and launch an ambassador program involving individuals with first-hand accounts of the impact of online abuse in sport.
“UAOA recognises that lasting change and reform can only be achieved through behavioural and regulatory change and reform. UAOA will continue
to engage with governments and international organisations to lead global efforts,” it reported.
“UAOA also celebrates that, as a united coalition, we are far stronger than the sum of our parts and must utilise our collective voice and power to
stand strongly against the toxicity some inject into the sporting world.”
