AIU says new tech will allow two-way communication with anonymous informers
NEW DELHI: The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on Friday said it would now be able to carry out two-way communication with anonymous informers of doping and other ethical violations in the sport while preserving their confidentiality through an enhanced intelligence gathering tool.
The AIU is an independent body created by the World Athletics that manages all integrity issues - both doping and non-doping.
Its responsibilities include anti-doping measures, pursuit of individuals engaged in age or competition results manipulation, investigating fraudulent behaviour with regards to transfers of allegiance, and detecting misconduct such as bribery and breaches of betting rules.
The two-way communication with anonymous informers, who can reach out through even WhatsApp for filing complaints or giving tipoffs, will allow the investigators to clarify and review inputs on any violations. The anonymous informers could not be reached for follow-up queries earlier by the investigators.
'Report Integrity Concerns' link on the AIU's website allows informers to give inputs. They can also scan the relevant QR codes to open anonymous WhatsApp or email on someone's device.
The AIU assesses incoming information for reliability, considers it against other information and acts decisively when appropriate.
"Now with three different reporting mechanisms, all of which enable ongoing two-way communication with our intelligence experts, we are striving to make the act of reporting concerns to us more accessible to the community we serve," explained AIU Head of Investigations and Intelligence, Michael King, in a statement.
"The key part of this tool is our ability to communicate anonymously with people in a two-way fashion. When someone has a concern, and they report to us, but they want to remain anonymous, we can still communicate and write to each other to seek clarifying information and provide feedback.
"The only people who have access to this tool are trained professionals with years of experience managing confidential information from people like this." David Chadwick, the Founder and CEO of RealResponse, the company providing the AIU's new reporting tool, endorsed King's view.
"The only people who have access to this tool are trained professionals with years of experience managing confidential information from people like this." David Chadwick, the Founder and CEO of RealResponse, the company providing the AIU's new reporting tool, endorsed King's view.
"When people feel safe to speak up, the integrity of sport gets stronger. Two-way anonymous communication allows investigators to move beyond a single report and have meaningful dialogue that leads to better information and better outcomes," said Chadwick.
King noted the ability to check information provided through reporting avenues will bolster intelligence-gathering, adding that the AIU depends significantly on the "trust and goodwill of the athletics community".
"These tools are critical to us doing our job and helping the athletics community. We work tirelessly to try and protect athletes, protect the community...(from) all ranges of integrity threats," he said.