Charter developed to help footballers protect personal data usage

World players’ union FIFPRO has released details of the Charter of Player Data Rights.

PA Sport

19th Sep 2022

Guidelines setting out the rights of footballers to protect how their personal data is used have been published on Monday.

World players’ union FIFPRO has released details of the Charter of Player Data Rights, which has been developed in consultation with the game’s global governing body FIFA.

The aim of the Charter is to create a framework which allows professional players to manage and access information about their performance and health, in an age where technology is providing increasingly detailed insight which has obvious sporting and commercial value.

A FIFPRO survey of 119 male and female players in the summer of 2021 found 80% wanted to have access to their data to improve their on-field performance. But players remain concerned about how data is collected and used.

“As data becomes more valuable to those who work in and around professional football – not only to players and clubs but also to competition organisers, in-game technology providers, the media and entertainment

industries – the need for clear and enforceable rules has become urgent,” FIFPRO said in a statement.

In the UK, legal letters have been sent to betting, gaming and data processing companies on behalf of more than 1,000 players, alleging their personal data has been sold on to these companies without their consent.

It is reported that the group, led by former Leyton Orient and Yeovil manager Russell Slade, is seeking up to £500m in damages.