Surveillance in Sport: Monitoring, Privacy and the Athlete Experience

David Kenny () and Ieva Masevic ()
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David Kenny: DCU Business School, DCU Institute for Business and Society
Ieva Masevic: Dublin Business School

Chapter 7 in Combating Online Abuse in Sports, 2026, pp 135-151 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter examines the role of surveillance in sport, focusing on how athletes are monitored within and beyond competition and the risks that arise from such practices. Adapting Thomas et al.’s (2021) framework, it develops a taxonomy of surveillance-related abuses tailored to the sporting context, highlighting forms including stalking, tracking, and the monitoring of personal accounts, devices, browsers, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. These are illustrated through real-world cases involving individual, organisational, and state actors, demonstrating how surveillance intersects with cyber-malfeasance, industrial espionage, and privacy violations. Particular attention is given to fan surveillance, including stalking and harassment, with contemporary examples from women’s tennis, basketball, and other sports. Surveillance is shown as a driver of exploitation, placing athletes’ data, bodies, and private lives at risk. The chapter concludes by exploring solutions and interventions, ranging from enhanced cybersecurity and privacy protections to legal measures and athlete education.

Keywords: Sports surveillance; Rival espionage; GPS tracking; Wearable technologies; Athlete monitoring; Athlete privacy; Social media metadata misuse; Performance surveillance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-032-17822-0_7

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-17822-0_7

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