Mar 25, 2025 - FIS has teamed up with Signify Group, its artificial intelligence Threat Matrix service, and sports integrity and security experts Quest to protect over 1,000 athletes and officials from online abuse and threat. The agreement follows an initial three-month pilot study conducted between January and March 2024.
Threat Matrix, which operates in 39 languages and uses open-source data, is now live and activated across X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok and covers athletes and officials across six ski and snowboard disciplines throughout the entire season.
The service will run until the end of the 2026-27 season and will include the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. As part of the project, Threat Matrix will also cover selected FIS Staff members and Technical Officials, and all FIS’ owned-channels on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
The threat Matrix service will:
- Investigate and identify abusive and threatening account holders to enable action by FIS and/or prosecution by law enforcement
- Detect, notify and work with social media platforms on content and account enforcement actions
- Ensure fast-time notification to FIS of any identified fixated threat
- Supplement FIS intelligence on its operating environment, thus enhancing security
- Deliver insights on trends, tactics, and triggers specific to Snowsports to support FIS policy, strategy and communications.
- Integrate with existing reporting, integrity and safeguarding systems in place
In addition to Threat Matrix monitoring of open-source data, the service will also provide risk assessment and investigations on any abuse or threats targeting athletes and officials through their private direct messages (DMs). This means participants will have the breadth of support they need across all forms of communication on social media.
In snow sports, we are lucky to be part of a community that, in general, is very supportive and respectful. This is reflected in the online interactions with our athletes and key stakeholders, which in their vast majority are positive. With that said, “vast majority” is not enough when it comes to online abuse and intimidation: our policy is of zero tolerance. The partnership with the Signify Group is the cornerstone of this stance.
– Sarah Fussek, FIS Integrity Director
Social media is such a staple of modern society that having a presence on it comes with inherent moral responsibility. FIS takes this responsibility extremely seriously, and as we strengthen our digital presence and the reach of our social media channels, we do so with an increasing commitment to protecting these online spaces from abuse and ensuring that they’re not only entertaining platforms, but also safe ones.
– Benjamin Stoll, FIS Digital & Innovation Director
FIS has shown great leadership and vision on the growing issue of online abuse and threat and we are delighted to be supporting the governing body, as well as the wider snow sports community, across the next three seasons. At the heart of the Threat Matrix service is a commitment to protecting athletes and officials through action – whether that be content takedown, identifying and mitigating real world threat, all the way through to law enforcement action – and we are fully focussed on delivering on these and other fronts for the FIS over the next few years.
– Jake Marsh, Head of Sport for Signify Group
About Threat Matrix
Threat Matrix is an initiative developed by Signify Group, and for this project is supported by FIS’ existing integrity partner Quest. Threat Matrix uses open source, publicly available data, and artificial intelligence to monitor social media messages at scale. The service has been designed with built-in threat assessment protocols, providing the ability to flag concerning and threatening behaviours. Threat Matrix is utilised by sports clubs, leagues, International Federations, and event owners across the globe.
