MILAN (AP) — The Japanese Olympic Committee has established a task force to monitor and address online abuse around the clock during the Winter Olympics in Cortina, Milan.
It comes after several athletes at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics suffered a series of insults on social media.
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The situation got so bad that the Japanese Olympic Committee issued a statement during the Games asking people to think twice before posting, adding that it would consider reporting excessive content to the police or taking legal action.
The aim is to prevent athletes from witnessing abuse this time around.
“As a new initiative, we will address online abuse,” Japanese delegation leader Hidehito Ito said through a translator on Monday. “We will monitor abusive posts online in Japan and Milan.
“Experts will monitor and if harmful content is found, we will ask the platform to remove the post.”
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The team will consist of 22 staff, 16 in Japan and 6 in Milan, with one lawyer in each location.
“The reason we have teams in both Milan and Japan is because of the time difference,” Ito added. “We want to ensure that online posts are monitored 24/7.”
The Japanese government has significantly stepped up efforts to combat online abuse after 22-year-old reality TV star and wrestler Hana Kimura committed suicide in 2020 after becoming a victim of cyberbullying.
In 2022, Japan is enacting tougher penalties for online abuse, including up to a year in prison.
A 2024 bill came into effect last year requiring major operators to deal with abuse quickly or risk hefty fines.
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The Japanese Olympic Committee will also cooperate with the International Olympic Committee to jointly combat cyberbullying.
“We are currently coordinating with the International Olympic Committee on how to cooperate in the future. As the Japanese Olympic Committee, we are paying close attention to the IOC’s practices and considering where we can cooperate,” said Naoya Yanagiya, a Japanese Olympic Committee official. “At the same time, we are mindful of differences in culture and practice and we are taking these into account when deciding how best to proceed.
“Through the experience of the Paris Olympics, World Athletics Championships and now the Cortina Games in Milan, we will continue to gain experience and make adjustments as we go forward. Throughout the event, our defamation content team will be in regular communication with the IOC and continue to coordinate where necessary.”
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics