Signify CEO, Jonathan Hirshler is interviewed by BBC News, highlighting the company’s Threat Matrix initiative and its partnership with Kick It Out. This interview was aired on 17th July 2020 as part of the BBC’s Sportsday programme.

Football has a serious problem. Online abuse has a negative impact on players, management, officials and fans. As players and clubs have found their voices in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and begun to campaign and speak out about social and racial justice, they have attracted a very encouraging level of support from fans to the media - but this has also incited even worse abuse from racists. Clubs and social media companies want to support the positive impact that these players are having, but in terms of protecting them from trolls they have struggled to do anything other than react to the worst cases. It’s time to get on the front foot.

Threat Matrix has been developed as a direct response to this problem, providing a real world solution that can scale across teams, leagues and national borders. Signify have partnered with Anti-Racism organisation Kick It Out to roll the service out.

Planning sessions and data sharing partnerships have been established with a number of Premier League Clubs and the Professional Footballers Association. Signify have also held talks with the Premier League and at an international level, are exploring an international pilot with world football’s governing body, FIFA.

The central benefit of Threat Matrix is to allow clubs and other organisations to switch from reactive reporting (doing something after an incident has occurred) to proactive monitoring, threat identification and analysis.

Threat Matrix provides clients with the ability to see the wider picture by illuminating where abuse is coming from, and what the shape and scale of the problem really looks like. 

The Chairman of Kick It Out, Sanjay Bhandari has referred to Threat Matrix as a "Game Changer".

If you are involved with a club (of any sport) a campaign, brand or organisation that would benefit from this level of support - please get in contact.