Trending

Trending

By BBC World ServiceNews
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Trending episodes

  • Elon Musk's Twitter storm

    Since the world’s richest man bought Twitter last year, more than half the workforce has been sacked and scores of users previously banned for breaking Twitter’s rules were reinstated.

    Marianna Spring investigates how Elon Musk is transforming one of the world’s most influential social media platforms. She speaks to former insiders and examines evidence that suggests trolling and hate are thriving under the new owner.
    This is the first episode in BBC Trending's new series 'Trolled'.

    21 min
  • How humanitarian crises are exploited online

    We investigate the money-making schemes that spring up on platforms like TikTok in the wake of conflict.

    First - the war in Ukraine saw a wave of donations from ordinary citizens around the world. But as we discover, scammers have joined the fray, exploiting emotive content in a bid to siphon cash from the catastrophe.

    And second - TikTok livestreams featuring Syrian refugees pleading for help are generating big money from sympathetic viewers online. We find out where most of the funds actually end up.

    Reporter: Hannah Gelbart
    Editor: Flora Carmichael

    25 min
  • Cash for conspiracy theories

    If promoting harmful conspiracy theories can be a lucrative way to make money, then is the best way for victims to fight back by hitting those responsible in the wallet?

    Alex Jones made a fortune from his Infowars website, before he was ordered to pay nearly £1.5 billion in defamation damages for falsely claiming that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax
    Parents of some of the 22 people murdered during the massacre, brought the legal action after suffering years of abuse and threats as a result of Jones accusing them of being “crisis actors”.
    Now people targeted by conspiracy theories which deny the reality of other horrific events are contemplating similar moves against those who false allegations have blighted their lives.
    This episode contains audio from the websites of Infowars and Richard D Hall.
    Presenter: Marianna Spring
    Producer: Ant Adeane
    Editor: Ed Main

    25 min
  • Akon’s Wakanda and a crumbling crypto dream

    The R’n’B singer Akon has had an incredibly successful music career, with a number of smash hits and legions of fans.

    Recently the singer launched two ambitious projects that are inextricably linked.

    The first is a cryptocurrency called Akoin that Akon says will provide financial independence for Africans, although some people are dissatisfied after investing in the dream and having nothing to show for it.

    The other project is a reported $6billion futuristically designed metropolis on the coast of Senegal called Akon City.

    Together Akoin and Akon City are supposed to represent the future of African life but after several delays will these plans ever take off?

    Presenter: Jonathan Griffin

    Producers: Borso Tall, Ned Davies
    Editor: Flora Carmichael

    32 min
  • Med beds: Miracle cure or misinformation?

    The lack of science around 'med beds' - miracle devices with magical healing properties - has not stopped people from shelling out thousands of dollars to buy them. Why have med beds taken off online and who is selling them?

    Presenter: Mike Wendling

    Producer: Elizabeth Hotson

    27 min
  • SafeMoon and the chaotic world of crypto

    SafeMoon promised its investors a trip to the moon but instead cost some their life savings. We speak to the YouTuber Coffeezilla who investigated the problematic token, the people who lost out and we assess the safety and future of crypto coins.

    Presenter: Joe Tidy

    Producers: Jerry Sullivan and Beth Godwin
    Editor: Flora Carmichael

    25 min
  • India’s anti-MLM movement

    The past few years gave way to a boom in the number of people joining direct selling schemes in India who were lured in by the false promise of riches. These tactics – imported from the West – have been quietly growing without much scrutiny. Ria – not her real name – fell prey to one of the largest schemes operating in the country. In an exclusive interview for BBC Trending, she reveals how she was trained to “attract people” into the business.

    There is a small group of crusaders who are fighting back, trying to save people from buying into schemes that leave more people further out of pocket than they were to begin with. So who are they and how are they doing it? The BBC’s health and disinformation reporter, Rachel Schraer investigates this phenomenon, speaking to experts, the authorities and even two YouTubers who are spreading awareness in the small South Indian village.
    Presenter: Rachel Schraer
    Producer: Reha Kansara
    Editor: Flora Carmichael

    25 min
  • The influencer and the insider: Chinmark's demise

    In 2020 the Chinmark Group appeared to be a thriving Nigerian business empire, endorsed by a string of popular influencers online. It sold investment deals to its followers, promising them astonishing returns. Today the empire is in tatters, but what went wrong? We hear from a social media star who hyped the company up, a former employee who sold the scheme to the public, and a student who staked his life savings on its success - losing everything in the process. And we’ll find out why firms following a similar pattern are proving so popular in Nigeria.

    Reporters: Chiagozie Chiagozie Nwonwu and Fauziyya Tukur

    Editor: Flora Carmichael

    25 min
  • The 'Alan MacMasters’ toaster hoax

    For more than a decade, he tricked the world into believing a Scottish scientist called Alan MacMasters invented the electric toaster in 1893. At the heart of this web of fantasy was a Wikipedia article that fooled dozens of journalists, public officials, and even primary school teachers. But how did this hoaxer get away with it for so long? And how did an eagle-eyed 15-year-old eventually manage to expose his deception?

    Presenter: Marco Silva

    Editor: Flora Carmichael

    27 min
  • Roe v Wade: The next battle

    Since the overturning of Roe versus Wade, dozens of US abortion clinics have closed their doors. Now efforts to provide abortion information and access have moved online, where false claims, genuine pills and dodgy remedies sit side by side.

    We meet the anti-abortion campaigners spreading false claims that clinically approved pills are dangerous and pro-choice supporters promoting dodgy herbal remedies on social media.

    Presenter: Rachel Schraer

    Producers: Jerry Sullivan & Kayleen Devlin
    Editor: Flora Carmichael

    27 min

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