Released to boos from the Estoril public in April 2022, when he had just lost in the first round of the Portuguese tournament after a meeting punctuated by verbal passes of arms between the French tennis player and the local public , Benoît Paire took out his smartphone as soon as he returned to the locker room. It was too much for the Avignonnais, victim of a ton of insults and online threats that he hastened to make public on his Twitter account. With the following question: “Do you think that’s normal, do you?” »

Another tricolor player had already taken the same step in July 2021, after a poor performance at the Cluj Open (Romania): Alizé Cornet had split a message full of irony embellishing a screenshot showing messages of insults of rare violence, between denigration, misogyny and threats of rape. The Frenchwoman had completed with these words: “It seems that the mental health of athletes is in tune with the times… We understand better why! »

This Monday, May 22, 2023, the first balls are hit on the outbuildings of Roland-Garros as part of the qualifications. A large audience came to enjoy the spring sunshine at the Porte d’Auteuil, less than a week before the entry into the running of the French and international top names. The director general of the French Tennis Federation (FFT), Caroline Flaissier, who succeeded the current Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, strolls through the aisles, asking about the first impressions of the spectators. .

In 2019, the FFT set up an “integrity unit” aimed at training and raising awareness among athletes about the intimidation and threats they may face on social networks. And this at all levels: from the clubs to the Pôle France de Poitiers, through the departmental committees and the regional leagues. However, curbing hate online required more resources, a digital “task force” capable of tracking hateful messages.

How does Bodyguard actually work? “Our system replicates human moderation with the speed of machines and artificial intelligence,” explains Yann Guérin. The AI ??analyzes the context of a comment, determines its general meaning, its meaning, in order to determine if it is toxic or simply negative. »

The goal is obviously not to censor with a vengeance, but simply to ban what is illegal: death threats, racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia or any form of hatred. This is why Bodyguard reserves the right to take legal action, providing the competent authorities with screenshots and other evidence.

Finally, there remains this question: what do the biggest stars of tennis, those who have the most subscribers on their accounts and mechanically arouse the most reactions, admiring as well as hostile, have to lose by not eradicating malicious words and report their authors? “For the most famous, this can harm their brand image, their reputation, their business,” explains Yann Guérin.

“For example, leaving insulting messages about one of your opponents on your account can, in the minds of many people, amount to condoning them. The negative effects can quickly appear. In addition, champions must protect their community, especially children who may come across these messages. One thing seems certain: it is difficult to encourage the youngest, who are born with these tools, to use them sparingly and wisely. Question of generation, of time. It’s up to the FFT and Bodyguard to protect them from their dangers…