FIFPRO promises new platform enabling players to control their data
FIFPRO doesn't have a timeframe for building the platform yet
Written by Training Ground Guru — July 10, 2023
WORLD players’ union FIFPRO has committed to developing a Player Data Management Platform that will enable players to “protect, manage and control their data through a universal database.”
As TGG has previously reported, the right of players to access and control their own data is one of the biggest issues facing football.
The catalyst was the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which gives every individual rights over their own personal data.
FIFPRO said: “Data collection, access and use often remains hidden and inaccessible to players, despite their rights under privacy laws.
“Under the leadership and initiative of FIFPRO and its 66 member unions the development of a centralised player data management platform will address the need of players to control the use, application, and exploitation of their data in the workplace or outside.
“Millions of personal and performance data points of players are collected in training, club competitions and in their private lives on a daily or weekly basis.”
FIFPRO said the Player Data Management Platform would help players to:
- Centralise personal data across the entire playing career
- Manage and control the application or use of personal data for specific purposes, including
performance management, coaching, match operations, employment, and commercial matters - Enable the creation of an industry-wide and player-centric database
- Ensure data management and protection in the workplace
“Professional players are a highly mobile and often international workforce and therefore require a centralised system to manage and control their personal data,” FIFPRO added.
“Therefore, the centralised platform will also help to centralise data collection, data flows, and data networks that are currently fragmented, and overcome barriers that exist between clubs, leagues, and national teams to benefit players and their careers.
“The centralised Player Data Management Platform will serve as a catalyst to advance a broader industry dialogue regarding the use of technology and the purpose and context of player data collection and its application.”
However, FIFPRO has not yet started building the Platform and has no timeline for doing so.
They described this announcement as “a first step to give agency to players who provide the data and create an ecosystem across markets” and to encourage “a strong dialogue among industry stakeholders to lay the foundation for the integration and management of advanced technology and innovation in the football industry.”
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