- Telekom and FC Bayern Munich raise awareness of the dangers of disinformation
- #NoHateSpeech: FC Bayern players Serge Gnabry, Harry Kane, and Joshua Kimmich
- Appeal: "Don't make a bad pass online. Be careful not to share fake news."
Let's assume FC Bayern player Serge Gnabry made the following statement online: "FC Bayern is a shitty club!" How would the football community react? Probably with surprise, even with incomprehension and horror, perhaps with approval or indifference.
Whatever the reactions, a completely different question arises: Is Gnabry's statement real or a fake? Deutsche Telekom is addressing precisely this topic in its new social media campaign "Don't play a bad pass online." Together with its partner FC Bayern Munich and players Serge Gnabry, Harry Kane, and Joshua Kimmich, it is drawing attention to the consequences of disinformation on society.
"With this campaign, as part of our long-standing initiative #NoHateSpeech, we and our partner FC Bayern are making it clear: We all encounter disinformation. But we can all contribute to defusing it by questioning messages and reviewing content before sharing it," says Dr. Christian Hahn, Head of Marketing Communications and Media at Deutsche Telekom.
"Be careful not to share fake news."
The campaign film depicts an agitated community that initially reacts with surprise to Serge Gnabry's statement. His teammates Harry Kane and Joshua Kimmich can hardly believe it. Did Gnabry really say that? The news spreads rapidly online. In the meantime, the player is subjected to massive hate comments. Now, an overlay shows how Gnabry's statement takes on a completely different meaning with an addition: "FC Bayern is everything to me, more than football, not a shitty club." It is the original statement, which was altered and carelessly spread online as an abridged version. The core message of the spot is both advice and a plea: "Don't make a bad pass online. Be careful not to share fake news."
The statement and scenario in the spot are fictitious, but could happen just as they are. Dr. Michael Diederich, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Management of FC Bayern München AG: "Taking content out of context and emotionally inflating it are typical strategies for targeted disinformation – one of the biggest dangers in the digital age, which is also systematically used to undermine democratic processes. Such influence can occur during elections or other forms of decision-making. Is this a sign of the times? Perhaps. Can and should we accept it? Absolutely not! And that's precisely where this campaign comes in. We all have a responsibility: We must raise awareness and educate. First, verify, then share – that's what we at FC Bayern are committed to, together with our partner Telekom."
Real examples, even from within FC Bayern, confirm that more and more manipulated statements are being spread via social media platforms. At the beginning of the year, a clip featuring Thomas Müller went viral on Instagram. In it, the FCB player sits next to Jürgen Klopp and signs a contract with RB Leipzig. Müller subsequently publicly clarified that the AI-generated video was fake. Similarly confusing was a video that circulated on various social media platforms last year. In it, FCB goalkeeper Manuel Neuer advertised an app. The video turned out to be a deepfake, realistic-looking media content created using AI technology. Here, too, people were deliberately deceived using Neuer's supposed identity.
"We can encounter false reports, especially on prominent platforms like those offered by professional football," says Hiro Kishi, Head of Sponsoring at Deutsche Telekom. "We are delighted that FC Bayern is supporting our initiative for the third time." The video "Don't make a bad pass online" launches today on various social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, as well as on the high-reach online channels of FC Bayern Munich and MagentaSport. It will also be shown selectively on TV in sports-related contexts. Mataracan, Munich, is responsible for the conception and creation. Chunk Filmproduktion, Berlin, is managing the production. Mindshare, Frankfurt, and emetriq, Hamburg, are handling media planning.
Respectful Coexistence Online
#NoHateSpeech is a Deutsche Telekom initiative aimed at raising awareness, educating, and encouraging active action against hate speech and disinformation online. The company, together with many partner organizations, is committed to promoting respectful coexistence online.
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