One of my first blog posts was about the social media restrictions that athletes would have to endure for the Olympics. At the time I questioned whether or not they would be able to control or limit an athlete’s social media usage. I also felt that in trying to prevent Olympic sponsors from losing their competitive advantage, the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games could face backlash from the public and Olympic players outraged over the restrictions being imposed. I was right. On Sunday, dozens of athletes posted on Twitter to bash rule 40 of the Olympic Charter that states, “… no competitor, coach, trainer or official who participates in the Olympic Games may allow his person, name, picture or sports performances to be used for advertising purposes during the Olympic Games.” Only Olympic sponsors that spend millions to be official sponsors can have their brand tied to the games. In response, athletes, like U.S. Track and Field competitor Dawn Harper, have taken to twitter and posted photos such as the one below.
What surprises me now is the reason why the athletes are protesting. The athletes claim that Rule 40 affects their ability to earn a living. Athletes rely on sponsorships to pay the bills but at a time when they are most visible to the world, they can’t promote the brands that support them. I’m surprised it isn’t also because of the infringement this poses on freedom of speech. Athletes should have a right to post or tweet whatever they want if it is outside the realm of the competition. As the Olympics continue, it’ll be interesting to see if more athletes join the protest and how organizers respond.
http://www.wired.com/playbook/2012/07/olympians-take-to-twitter-to-protest-social-media-restrictions/
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