Ben Sulayem leads fight against online abuse

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), has called for a combined global approach across sports, tech, government and academia to win the battle to protect athletes, officials, volunteers and fans from online abuse.

Ben Sulayem delivered his message as the FIA, the global governing body for motorsport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, welcomed industry experts and thought leaders to Stockholm, Sweden, for the second global United Against Online Abuse (UAOA) conference.

Bringing together voices from the world of sport, politics, and social media, the coalition reaffirmed their collective commitment to combatting online abuse, welcoming new members and sharing knowledge, innovation, and tools to accelerate progress in tackling this digital threat.

Ben Sulayem opened the conference on Tuesday stating: “We are united by one goal: to protect sport from online abuse. As a force for good it inspires us, brings us together, and teaches us respect, teamwork, and discipline.

“Our community is growing — more athletes, more fans, more volunteers, more officials. But with this growth comes risk, and we must protect our community. This conference is not simply a meeting of minds, it is a declaration of our common purpose. Together we learn, build new alliances, and strengthen our voices. Together we will deliver lasting change.”

Launched in 2023 and supported by the FIA Foundation, the UAOA campaign seeks to drive both regulatory and behavioural change in response to the growing threat of online harassment. In the last two years, UAOA has released groundbreaking research, spearheaded global awareness campaigns, and brought together key stakeholders to promote respectful and inclusive digital spaces.

Ben Sulayem said: “The FIA launched the United Against Online Abuse campaign to protect athletes, officials, volunteers and fans from digital harm. To win this battle it requires a combined global approach across sports, tech, government and academia, united behind a common mission.”

During the conference, the coalition welcomed two new charter signatories, Signify Group and the International Federation for Sport Officials (IFSO), joining over 70 partners including global governments and industry organisations who have already committed to this important cause.

FIA President Ben Sulayem said: “We are very excited to welcome Signify and IFSO and their pioneering work in this field to our coalition as they will strengthen our ability to combine research, regulation and innovation in driving meaningful change worldwide, reaching and engaging with an even broader athlete audience.”

Earlier this month the FIA, the governing body for world motorsport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, announced that a tender process will be run for a new commercial rights holder of the FIA WRC.