You have until Aug.16 to comment on the FEI’s draft of proposed changes to its statutes, and one in particular is worth more than a look.
While the list includes everything from restricting the tightness of nosebands to banning grooming and tacking up in stable aisles at shows, one that could affect every athlete involves serious sanctions in connection with use of social media.
Warnings, fines, suspension or provisional suspension could be the punishment for violations of a new policy that strives “to provide accurate and reliable information on social media platforms.”
Athletes should “fact-check before sharing or commenting on news or events related to their sport. Sharing false information or spreading rumours can have a detrimental effect on the sport and its shareholders,” states the draft.
But who determines whether something is “false information’? We have seen a lot of that in the U.S.–for example, the Hunter Biden laptop was deemed to be “Russian information” before it was determined to be real. And also in the U.S., we’ve had a lot of discussion about the first amendment and free speech being controlled by social media companies.
While it certainly is important to check facts and not repeat rumors, what about an opinion on something, anything, with which the FEI might disagree?
“It’s absolutely detrimental to the progress of equestrian sports,” believes Olympic eventer Doug Payne, a frequent poster online.
“Without dissent, you have a very, very small group of people guiding you with their perception of what the sport should be. I hope people are aware and see this is a precursor to something far worse. I feel it’s the tip of the iceberg; it’s going to put a significant amount of negative pressure on the sport in general.”
There’s also a question of who will set the standard about what can go on social media.
“Every once in a while, you’re going to make your point about something and who knows who’s going to be offended? That’s really scary,” mused dressage rider Kim Herslow.
Other riders from whom comment was requested did not respond, which might be considered evidence of the chilling effect the proposed rule could have.
A final draft of the changes to the FEI statutes will be presented Oct. 24. The rules will be discussed and voted on at the FEI General Assembly this November in Mexico City.