Badminton against online abuse
Signify Group has strengthened its commitment to protecting athletes and officials from online abuse through a new partnership with the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Together, we are introducing enhanced investigative capabilities, structured reporting processes, and new educational tools for the global badminton community at a time when online hostility toward athletes is increasing across sport.
Through our Threat Matrix service, we will support the BWF in identifying, assessing, and responding to abusive or threatening messages directed at players, coaches, officials, and staff. The partnership covers key areas including reporting workflows, risk and threat assessment, investigations, offender identification, content moderation, and digital‑safety training.
A More Structured Response to Digital Threats
Under the new system, athletes and officials will be encouraged to report abusive direct messages (DMs) directly to the BWF Integrity Unit. Once submitted, Signify will analyse the reports, assess their severity, and escalate serious cases to our in‑house OSINT (Open‑Source Intelligence) specialists for detailed investigation.
Where behaviour appears to cross a criminal threshold, our team will compile evidential packages for referral to law enforcement agencies or social media platforms. We will also develop educational resources to help athletes and national federations better understand online abuse, manage risk, and strengthen their personal digital security.
Case Study: Why Timely Reporting Matters
Our collaboration with the BWF has already involved a case where a player received serious online abuse. Although our analysts were able to partially identify the offender, the process became more difficult after the player reposted the abusive message publicly. Once alerted, the offender hid or locked their accounts, limiting available evidence and complicating the investigation. Had we been able to fully verify the offender’s identity, the BWF could have escalated the case appropriately.
This example underlines why the BWF encourages players, coaches, officials, and staff to report incidents immediately and privately. Through this partnership, we can now accurately identify offenders and prepare comprehensive evidential packages for action by platforms or relevant authorities — but early reporting is critical.
A Message of Deterrence
BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund said the partnership reinforces the federation’s commitment to protecting its community.
“The safety and wellbeing of badminton’s athletes, officials, and wider community is a top priority for the BWF. This partnership with Signify Group strengthens our ability to respond to online abuse in a structured and meaningful way. By combining education, reporting mechanisms, and investigative support, we are not only ensuring that those who overstep the mark online can be identified and held accountable, we are giving our stakeholders the tools to better protect themselves, while sending a clear message to the public that such behaviour is not tolerated in our sport.”
Jake Marsh, Head of Sport at Signify Group, added:
“Online abuse and threats are an increasingly serious issue for athletes and officials across global sport. This partnership with the Badminton World Federation is about giving individuals the confidence to report concerns, ensuring those reports are assessed properly, and taking meaningful action when behaviour crosses the line. Education, intelligence, and investigations must work together to create safer digital environments, and we’re proud to support the BWF in that mission.”
As online abuse continues to affect athletes worldwide, our partnership with the BWF represents an important step in safeguarding the wellbeing of everyone involved in badminton — both on and off the court — and ensuring clear, effective pathways for reporting, responding to, and discouraging online misconduct.
Photo attribution to Jeremy Bishop under Unsplash license.