Podcasts about bbc trending

At the start of 2025, a chat appeared on the encrypted messaging app Telegram. It was named Are We Dating The Same Girl? At first only a few hundred people joined. Soon that was thousands, and its content went from details of young women's dating history, to revenge porn - sexually explicit videos and images. BBC Trending traces the Telegram group's origins back to Are We Dating the Same Guy? groups on Facebook. But how did they first come about? Why are they seen as an important safety tool for some and something that has ruined lives for others? And how did the idea spread to Telegram, with serious consequences?

In January a boat carrying migrants across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe was miraculously rescued by a fishing trawler after two weeks lost at sea. At least 20 people died from starvation, dehydration and hypothermia. Many of those on the boat - Pakistani men - were promised safe, legal routes to Europe by the smugglers but that was far from their reality. BBC Trending tracks the digital footprint of one of the suspected smugglers wanted for deaths on this very migrant boat. On TikTok, trivial videos depict his lifestyle - one of money, nice restaurants and a lot of travel. But these videos reveal much more about the smuggler's operations. Presenter/producer: Reha Kansara and Shruti Menon Producer: Mohammad Zubair Khan

Meta has decided to abandon the use of independent fact-checkers on Facebook and Instagram in the United States, citing concerns that fact-checkers have become too politically biased. Instead, the company seems to be following X's lead by shifting to a Community Notes-style system, where users rather than professional fact-checkers and experts correct inaccurate information. But will it lead to more free speech and fewer errors? Or does it open the door for misinformation to spread more easily? How well are social media users equipped to discern fact from fiction?

There's a moral panic in Russia and several former Soviet states about a craze in which teenagers and children dress up as animals and walk on all fours like their favourite animals. In one TikTok video, a group of youngsters are seen scampering across Moscow's Red Square wearing fox masks and tails. Politicians and religious leaders have warned the trend is a threat to civilised values and a cover for LGBT and western ideology. Legislation is now being considered to ban quadrobics and fine or arrest parents of enthusiasts. But quadrobics has a longer history as a form of exercise. We speak to the pioneering Japanese athlete who holds the world record for covering 100m on all fours in 15.7 seconds, which he set in 2015.

There is growing concern about cybercrimes like romance scams and sextortion targeting victims around the world. Hiding behind fake or hacked accounts, fraudsters bombard their targets with messages in the hope of extracting money or compromising personal information. In Nigeria, these operations are often honed in dedicated training academies. Known as 'Hustle Kingdoms', they help con artists stay up-to-date with the most effective techniques for carrying out digital fraud. BBC Trending explores how these schools operate, both in person and on social media, to train the next generation of scammers.

In September last year, musician Michael Smith of North Carolina was charged with stealing millions from music streaming services. The US Department of Justice has accused him of using artificial intelligence tools and thousands of bots to fraudulently stream songs billions of times - taking millions of dollars of royalties which otherwise would have been paid to real artists. The case has been labelled as ‘unprecedented' and ‘the first of its kind'. But could fraud on music streaming services actually be much more prevalent than any of the platforms let on? BBC Trending speaks to music industry insiders, and those fighting back against streaming fraud.

Three years since Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine, BBC Trending speaks to Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) analysts and fact checkers who have worked diligently throughout the war to verify online content from the front line and push back against malicious propaganda. Their efforts documenting war crimes and debunking misleading content has taken a toll - what keeps them going and how do they avoid burnout? Presenter: Olga Robinson Producers: Alex Murray & Yana Lyushnevska Editor: Flora Carmichael

Dating in Medellín, Colombia is being promoted to foreign men on YouTube, TikTok and other social media platforms. Lots of the videos, in English and Spanish, contain misogynistic language and suggest that the local women are both accessible and easy. These videos are part of a wider trend of “passport bros” many of whom are American men, seeking life abroad in places marketed by content creators as being good for meeting women. In theory, adult men going to meet adult women is not a problem, but Medellin has a huge problem with sexual exploitation. It is often nicknamed by the press as ‘the world's biggest brothel'. Since the pandemic the city has introduced curfews for underage girls in some neighbourhoods while NGOs work against the issue.

A mechanical engineer by day, Hania Zataari felt compelled to put her skills to use as the war intensified in Lebanon. Hailing from the south, one of the worst hit areas in the country, she has created a chatbot on WhatsApp that simplifies access to much-needed aid. BBC Trending follows Hania as she helps to bring aid to those affected by the war between Israel and Hezbollah. We also speak to people who have been helped by her chatbot and an aid volunteer to paint a picture of how Hania's chatbot might be streamlining the service, as well as aid organisations who have shed light on the trials and tribulations of getting to people in south Lebanon.

The people of Valencia are still trying to come to terms with the events of 29 October - in a matter of hours, the Spanish city was hit by flash floods, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. But, as news of the floods began circulating on social media, so did rumours about the supposed causes behind the torrential rain. “This is not normal weather”, suggested one tweet seen more than a million times, “This is weather warfare manipulated by HAARP.” Claims that the weather is being manipulated through the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP), an atmospheric research programme first developed by the US military, are not new. And yet, as many extreme weather events become more frequent and intense, these lies appear to be finding new audiences. So, what is the truth about HAARP?

BBC Trending is the show that brings you in-depth reporting on the world of social media. But it is an ever-changing online landscape so how does the show's production team keep up? We hear listeners' views and questions. Plus Over to You's annual ask the controller edition - do you have any questions or gripes - for the boss of World Service English? Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon A Whistledown production for BBC World Service

They call it the Big Game. Somali influencers are taking part in clan-based battles on TikTok. A US college student who spent $4000 in just four minutes tells the BBC she regrets ever getting involved. She felt addicted to the draw of defending her clan and says she was later harassed by an influencer. The trend is taking Somali social media by storm but many are worried these games go beyond entertainment and are contributing to a toxic environment online.

In many parts of the world there is still a fear of witches and witchcraft. Those accused are often vulnerable, yet they are blamed for a variety of afflictions, from disease to infertility and poverty. They often face persecution, abuse and lynching. From his base in Nigeria Dr Leo Igwe, after receiving tip-offs on social media, intervenes and protects those accused of witchcraft across the African continent from being attacked. He also lobbies local authorities to prevent witch-hunting drives from taking place and organises educational campaigns to counter existing occult narratives.

A wave of criminal activity in Japan has been blamed on social media. Yami Baito – meaning “dark part-time jobs” in Japanese – refers to job ads posted by criminal gangs on social media and encrypted messaging platforms including Telegram. Jobseekers are blackmailed or enticed with the promise of getting rich quick to commit a range of crimes from scamming elderly people to, at its most extreme, armed robbery. Japanese police have attempted to crack down on Yami Baito by taking down these ads and launching public awareness campaigns. But BBC Trending explores evidence that these recruiters are still operating online. We hear from someone who got sucked into Yami Baito, and a criminal mastermind in charge of recruitment.

Female con artists are exploiting superstition and family love to swindle women with Chinese heritage living in the west. The blessing scam is an elaborate piece of criminal street theatre, which over the last few months has claimed victims across North America and the UK. It begins with an apparently random meeting with a stranger in the street, and very quickly escalates from there. Victims are tricked out of their money and possessions, after being terrified into believing that a relative's life is threatened by evil spirits. Are the criminals just master manipulators, or could something even more sinister be involved? Now a social media activist is fighting back and trying to put the crooks out of business.

In May, riots broke out in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia - a group of islands in the South Pacific. Protesters were calling for independence from the European nation that has ruled the archipelago for more than a century and a half. Amid the violence came an unusual claim - that Azerbaijan, a seemingly disconnected nation thousands of miles from both Paris and the Pacific Ocean - was stoking the violence online. BBC Trending asks if there is any truth to the claim. And if so, what might Azerbaijan be hoping to achieve?

What do Hollywood legend Leo DiCaprio, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, and English zoologist Jane Goodall have in common? They have all taken to social media to call for the protection of the Masungi Georeserve, a popular ecotourism destination in the Philippines. This comes after the Philippine government proposed scrapping a contract with the reserve that handed it control over 2,700 hectares of land for reforestation purposes. As public debate rages on, BBC Trending has uncovered evidence of an online disinformation campaign targeting the nature reserve's keepers. But who is the puppet master pulling the strings from the shadows?

This is episode 1 of ‘Beyond the Ballot Box' - our new mini-series exploring some of the major political currents in US politics.  With the presidential election just around the corner, American politics is increasingly a focus of international attention as well. Electoralism, reproductive justice, the climate crisis, Palestine, a resurgent far right, the criminalization of protest, and the militarization of policing are all swirling in a maelstrom that is unlikely to abate, whatever the outcome on November 5th.  In this episode, series hosts Chris Browne and James Kelly sit down with Mike Wendling. Mike is US National Digital Reporter for the BBC, co-founder of the BBC's disinformation unit and the former editor and presenter of BBC Trending. Based in Chicago, he has decades of experience covering extremism, the American far right, social media and disinformation. He is also the author of Alt-Right: From 4chan to the White House and the new book, Day of Reckoning: How the Far Right Declared War on Democracy, which was published by Pluto earlier this year. We talk about how the movement known as the ‘Alt-Right' morphed over the years of the Trump presidency, in response to events such as the Covid-19 pandemic and January 6 Capitol riot. We talk about the ways in which conspiratorial thinking has bled from the fringes of the far right into the mainstream Republican movement, and the ways in which Donald Trump has reshaped the party and the wider political terrain. We get Mike's reflections on the recent Republican and Democratic National Conventions, and the extent to which the assassination attempt on Trump and the substitution of Harris for Biden on the Democratic ticket have changed the electoral calculus, less than 2 months out from the election.

The Iranian government is not coy about its silence tactics. Since Iran's Woman Life Freedom Movement began on 16 September 2022, unlawful executions, imprisonment, physical and sexual abuse has dominated headlines across the globe. It is estimated that tens of thousands of people have received some form of government retribution – and at the heart of it is a complex surveillance system that aids security forces in its endeavours. The Supreme Cyber Council oversees digital rule in the country, and combined with FATA (the Cyber police), BASIJ (volunteer law enforcement working with Iran's security forces) and surveillance spy software amongst other things, clamping down on dissent has never been easier. We speak to the women on the digital frontline between the state and their communities, investigate how court summons are issued based on social media posts and talk to experts about Iran's surveillance tactics.

BBC Trending's podcast feed is closing, but we'll be publishing new episodes in the BBC World Service's Documentary Podcast from now on. Search for The Documentary wherever you get your BBC podcasts, and subscribe to get new episodes of BBC Trending along with a range of exciting new documentaries from around the world.

Farmers' protests have been erupting across Europe, and on February 20th one image from a protest in Poland went viral. It showed a tractor carrying a soviet flag and bearing a slogan calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to ‘bring order to Ukraine, Brussels and our rulers.' The man driving the tractor was arrested and is currently awaiting trial. After the image was released Poland's foreign ministry spokesperson released a statement warning of attempts to take over the country's agricultural protest movement by extreme and irresponsible groups ‘possibly under the influence of Russian agents.' In this episode of BBC Trending, we attempt to track down the man behind the banner. Who is he? And what's the evidence for Russian involvement in, or amplification of, farmers' protests in Poland and beyond?

In a viral thread posted on X in January this year, a 23-year-old Russian man claims he used ChatGPT to filter through and chat thousands of women on Tinder, eventually proposing to one that was selected by the algorithm. The scale and success of his experiment sparked scepticism. Some raised doubts about the technical plausibility of it, while others voiced concerns about the ethical implications of such an endeavour. In an attempt to better understand his experiment, BBC Trending interviewed the Russian man and asked experts what they made of it. As AI becomes more advanced and accessible, the story also highlights broader concerns about the future of this technology in online dating. How will AI reshape the landscape of online dating in the coming years? What biases may be inherent in its algorithms? Is using AI in this manner a form of catfishing?

In a viral thread posted on X in January this year, a 23-year-old Russian man claims he used ChatGPT to filter through and chat thousands of women on Tinder, eventually proposing to one that was selected by the algorithm. The scale and success of his experiment sparked scepticism. Some raised doubts about the technical plausibility of it, while others voiced concerns about the ethical implications of such an endeavour. In an attempt to better understand his experiment, BBC Trending interviewed the Russian man and asked experts what they made of it. As AI becomes more advanced and accessible, the story also highlights broader concerns about the future of this technology in online dating. How will AI reshape the landscape of online dating in the coming years? What biases may be inherent in its algorithms? Is using AI in this manner a form of catfishing? Presenter: Olga Robinson Producer: Marta Pausilli Editor: Flora Carmichael

Mike Wendling is the National Digital Reporter for the BBC. He is the co-founder of the BBC's disinformation unit and was editor and presenter of BBC Trending. While topics related to disinformation and extremism became popular starting in 2016, he's been covering this subject matter for decades. He is the author of the book Alt Right: From 4chan To White House as well as the brand new book Day of Reckoning: How the Far Right Declared War on Democracy. Jake and Travis chat with Mike about covering conspiracy theories, adventures in the field, the legacy of 2000 Mules, and Mike's experiences attempting to use a medbed. Day of Reckoning: How the Far Right Declared War on Democracy by Mike Wendling https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745349718/day-of-reckoning/ Mike Wendling on Twitter https://twitter.com/mwendling Editing by Corey Klotz. Theme by Nick Sena. Additional music by Pontus Berghe. Theme Vocals by THEY/LIVE (https://instagram.com/theyylivve / https://sptfy.com/QrDm). Cover Art by Pedro Correa: (https://pedrocorrea.com) https://qaapodcast.com QAA was known as the QAnon Anonymous podcast.

In 2011, Tunisians took to the streets against the ruling authoritarian regime. Catalysed by social media, the protests would reverberate around the world, spark the Arab Spring and lead to significant democratic reforms in the country. More recently, Tunisia's democracy has reached a turning point. In 2021, as public frustration with the pandemic and the failing economy grew, the Tunisian President Kais Saied sacked the prime minister, suspended parliament and pushed through constitutional reforms consolidating his power.And now, it appears online debate is being suppressed. BBC Trending speaks to people who have experienced first hand how social media can be used to survey and attack the government's critics.

Over the summer, a mysterious Twitter persona published details of over 14,500 social media accounts - all of them controlled by real-life Serbian citizens, it's claimed. They stand accused of posting… whatever the President's party tells them to.It's long been rumoured that Serbia's ruling SNS party commands the online activity of a small army of citizens, dubbed ‘bots' by the opposition. But this kind of list, naming and shaming thousands of ordinary Serbians, is unprecedented.If true, their activity represents a form of political corruption according to Serbia's public prosecutor. The government's response has alarmed observers - it shrugged off the story, publishing instead a veiled tongue-in-cheek ‘admission'.But who is behind the list, and can it be trusted? BBC Trending has analysed the data in an attempt to establish if the ‘bots' are indeed real people. And whether their accounts show evidence of co-ordinated activity.Featuring interviews gathered on the ground in Belgrade, we hear from opposition politicians, pro-democracy activists and a self-professed real-life ‘bot'. She tells us she trolled the President's opponents under threat of losing her job – as a receptionist at a state-controlled electricity company in a small Serbian town.Reporter: Sam Judah

Over the summer, a mysterious Twitter persona published details of over 14,500 social media accounts - all of them controlled by real-life Serbian citizens, it's claimed. They stand accused of posting… whatever the President's party tells them to.It's long been rumoured that Serbia's ruling SNS party commands the online activity of a small army of citizens, dubbed ‘bots' by the opposition. But this kind of list, naming and shaming thousands of ordinary Serbians, is unprecedented.If true, their activity represents a form of political corruption according to Serbia's public prosecutor. The government's response has alarmed observers - it shrugged off the story, publishing instead a veiled tongue-in-cheek ‘admission'.But who is behind the list, and can it be trusted? BBC Trending has analysed the data in an attempt to establish if the ‘bots' are indeed real people. And whether their accounts show evidence of co-ordinated activity.Featuring interviews gathered on the ground in Belgrade, we hear from opposition politicians, pro-democracy activists and a self-professed real-life ‘bot'. She tells us she trolled the President's opponents under threat of losing her job – as a receptionist at a state-controlled electricity company in a small Serbian town.Reporter: Sam Judah Editor: Flora CarmichaelAdditional reporting by: Grujica Andric, Lazar Covs, and Alison Benjamin.

A BBC investigation has found that people smugglers in Pakistan are using social media sites to advertise their services, despite a government crackdown on their operations. Reha Kansara from BBC Trending joins us to explain what she discovered.Plus: TikTok is being banned in Nepal. A food influencer tells us how he feels about the ban.Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenters: Hannah Gelbart with Reha Kansara Producers: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden and Adam Chowdhury Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

A life coaching group has been accused of trolling former members. Lighthouse International Group promises to help people realise their dreams and ambitions, but the reality is more sinister. Lighthouse obsessively records and stores mentoring sessions and group calls. But when people ask questions or try to leave, that's when the trouble really starts. BBC Trending's series Trolled lifts the lid on online abuse and trolling on and off social media. Presenter: Catrin Nye Producer: Ed Main Editor: Flora Carmichael

In a gruesome new trend, TikTok has been flooded with videos in which AI-generated versions of real life child murder victims tell the stories of how they were killed. The mother of child murder victim James Bulger and other grieving parents have expressed their disgust that their loved ones digital versions of their loved ones have been created and posted online without their consent. In the first episode of “Extreme”, a new series from BBC Trending, Ed Main investigates this phenomenon. More than 100 different AI-generated versions of the same child have been posted online. Social media safety campaigner Baroness Beeban Kidron calls it an “emotional assault” on victims' families. While TikTok has banned AI content that uses the likeness of real children, some of these videos have gathered millions of views. So who is creating these mini horror movies and why are people watching them despite the distress they are causing? Presenter and producer: Ed Main Additional reporting: Thuong Le Editor: Flora Carmichael

A cult-like life coaching group has been accused of trolling former members. Lighthouse International Group promises to help people realise their dreams and ambitions, but the reality is more sinister. Lighthouse obsessively records and stores mentoring sessions and group calls. But when people ask questions or try to leave, that's when the trouble really starts. BBC Trending's series Trolled lifts the lid on online abuse and trolling on and off social media. Presenter: Catrin Nye Producer: Ed Main Editor: Flora Carmichael

Since the Covid vaccines were rolled out, a trend has sprung up – of accounts online linking virtually any death or illness, of a celebrity, athlete or ordinary person, to the shots without any evidence. A conspiracy theory film called Died Suddenly released last year appears to have supercharged this practice- termed “ghouling”. BBC Trending investigates how far the Died Suddenly film has spread and what its impact has been – on the people who believe its message, and on bereaved families being trolled. We speak to Stew Peters, the film-maker behind the film, and challenge him on the misleading claims he is spreading. Presenter: Rachel Schraer Reporter: Mike Wendling Editor: Flora Carmichael

Burmese women have been at the forefront of the resistance against the military junta ever since Myanmar lurched back into a dictatorship in 2021. Online, female activists and politicians have been fighting for their rights, gathering intel and strategizing - hoping that one day Myanmar will return to democracy. But these women have also been on the receiving end of targeted online attacks which have leaked into the offline world. So who is behind these strategic hate campaigns and why are they doing it? BBC Trending's Reha Kansara investigates and unearths a network of pro-junta online trolls who dox and abuse women who oppose the regime. Presenter: Reha Kansara Producers: Nyein Chan Aye and Sachin Croker Editor: Flora Carmichael

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'.

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

Join us on Thursday May 26 at 6:15pm at BT HQ in London for a fireside chat and drinks with Anne-Marie Tomchak to hear about how sustainability is changing the face of business. There will also be a showcase of some top startups in sustainability. Since starting out as a journalist in RTE almost 20 years ago, Anne-Marie has been an innovator across news, technology and fashion. She launched the social media investigative unit BBC Trending, she has led editorial teams at Mashable and British Vogue and her television documentary work is on the Irish curriculum. Now Anne-Marie is part of a new wave of impact entrepreneurs bringing fresh thinking to the way we engage with sustainability. Her company DesignTracker helps people decarbonise their homes – something that must happen for the UK to meet climate targets. She's also a co-founder of the circular fashion non-profit ShareJoy which sells preloved clothing to raise funds for mental health charities. This chat with Anne-Marie will look at how technology and fashion are contributing to the future of the planet and how optimists from a range of backgrounds can help solve the world's biggest problem and transform business as we know it. Anne-Marie will be in conversation with Ciara Riordan who is a Social Media Editor at the BBC and an award winning journalist, presenter and producer. She previously interviewed Sir David Attenborough and this went viral when she asked him what animal he would be for a day! (Answer: A sloth!). Doors Open at 6:15pm with registration and drinks. Doors closing at 7pm when the event will start. https://digitalirish.com/sustainability-the-biggest-opportunity-in-business-right-now/

How much do disinformation and new forms of climate change denial threaten the fight to save the planet? In the first episode of a special new series running around the COP26 climate conference, BBC Trending speaks to a leading scientist who says the battle to prevent catastrophe may depend on winning the information war. Professor Michael Mann first made headlines in 1998 when he published the pioneering “hockeystick graph” which showed how carbon emissions caused by human activity are harming the planet. Since then mounting evidence has made it harder for the fossil fuel industry and its allies to deny the existence of man-made climate change. The overwhelming majority of scientists agree that we are now at a turning point where only urgent and dramatic action can save humanity. In November world leaders will gather at in Scotland to agree targets for cutting admissions. Many observers regard it as our last best chance to avert disaster. Professor Mann argues that in the face of this reality, what he calls “the forces of inaction” have developed new strategies to try to prevent humanity from kicking its addiction to oil, gas and coal. So does the future of life on earth depend on understanding the playbook of these new climate war tactics?

Media literacy is so important today since millions of Americans get their news from Social Media which unlike legacy press and TV is neither edited nor curated. Separating fact from fiction, conspiracy theory, falsehood and agitprop can be a full time job. The BBC Trending program tracks social media and shines the light of researched fact on fake news and disinformation. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

The Anti-Vax Files is a programme that sets out to uncover and challenge disinformation around vaccines. Listeners quiz the editor of BBC Trending. Plus can a cliff-hanger be in bad taste? A listener in the US believes Business Daily did exactly that. Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon

Scientists say only a vaccine will really get us out of the Covid-19 pandemic. So why has the anti-vaccine movement grown stronger than ever over the last year? In the first episode of this new series, BBC Trending and a team of disinformation reporters will investigate how hardcore anti-vaccine activists have used social media to spread their message far and wide, capitalising on fear and mistrust to advance their own agendas. We’re not talking about legitimate medical debate or questions that people have about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. No, we’re talking about completely debunked conspiracy theories – that the vaccines contain microchips in order to track everyone who takes them, that they will make you infertile or are poisonous, or that they will alter your DNA. Exclusive research by BBC Monitoring shows just how popular far anti-vaccine material has spread on Facebook and Instagram. With the help of some of the world’s leading researchers, we investigate how these posts increase vaccine hesitancy and find out how some fringe activists are turning their online efforts into real-world action. Presenter: Mike Wendling

How did a US-based conspiracy about Donald Trump gain followers in Scotland and the UK? BBC Trending editor Mike Wendling and Hope Not Hate researcher Dr. Joe Mulhall join Lucy and Phil to discuss how QAnon exploded online. Why is it starting to make appearances across the UK and Europe, from online groups to anti-mask protests outside of Holyrood? The team talk about the origins of QAnon, it's appeal to certain people, what we can learn from the USA, and the potentially dangerous consequences of letting the conspiracy grow this side of the Atlantic.

A Facebook group named Stop the Steal sprung up in the hours after the US presidential election. Within hours it had gained hundreds of thousands of followers. Members alleged the election had been “rigged”, despite a lack of evidence. But this claim came from the very top. Months before, President Trump was planting seeds of doubt over the vote – mentioning “voter fraud” and similar phrases more than 70 times on Twitter. BBC Trending looks into some of the most viral specific allegations – and we find out how “Stop the Steal” members kept pushing rumours built on disinformation. Presenters: Marianna Spring and Mike Wendling Picture: Protesters hold signs with the “Stop the Steal” slogan at a pro-Trump rally Credit: Getty Images

With the 2020 Presidential election less than 4 months away, Social Media and with it Fake News stories will loom large no doubt, much as they did in 2016. The BBC has a dedicated weekly program called BBC Trending which focuses on Disinformation stories. Why would the world's most respected broadcaster want to give any oxygen to conspiracy theories and disinformation stories ? It is a measure of how far the Internet and its' no holds barred culture has impacted how we get our news. In today's podcast, I interviewed Mike Wendling and I share his insights with you. BBC Trending can be heard on the BBC World Service every Friday at 9.30pm Pacific Daylight Time(PDT). Editor and Co-host is Mike Wendling. Make a point of tuning in, as I do. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

The World Health Organisation calls it an “infodemic” – a flood of information about the coronavirus pandemic. Amid the good advice and the measured uncertainty, there’s a ton of false claims, conspiracy theories and health tips which are just plain wrong. We’ve been working to fight the tide of bad info, and in this programme BBC Trending reporters Marianna Spring and Mike Wendling trace the story of one specific viral post. It's a list of supposed facts about the virus and what you can do to protect yourself. Some of the tips are true, some are false but relatively harmless, and some are potentially dangerous. Who’s behind the post – and how did it spread? Here’s our list of seven key tips on how to stop viral misinformation: 1. Stop and think 2. Check your source 3. Ask yourself, could it be a fake? 4. If you’re unsure whether it’s true … don’t share. 5. Check each fact, individually. 6. Beware emotional posts. 7. Think about biases Presenters: Marianna Spring and Mike Wendling

Where some see a crisis, others see an opportunity… For the past few weeks, hackers and scammers around the world have been busy using the confusion and anxiety created by coronavirus as cover for dangerous and illegal activities. From phishing emails to bogus cures and treatments, their scams have taken a number of different forms. BBC Trending turns the spotlight on the darkest corners of the web and analyses some of the scams and hacks that have emerged since the coronavirus outbreak began. Presenter: Marco Silva (Photo: illustration of a magnifying glass hovering over a laptop that has received malicious content/Credits: BBC)

Coronavirus has reached 24 counties outside of China, with 8 confirmed cases in the UK. As the disease is spreading so is a lot of information, some of it misleading. The World Health Organisation has warned that "trolls and conspiracy theories" are undermining their response to the virus. We speak to Mike Wendling from BBC Trending and Vitaly Shevchenko, Russian Editor at BBC Monitoring, about the theories being circulated. Presenter: Tina Daheley Producer: Lucy Hanock Mixed by Emma Crowe Editor: Philly Beaumont

Vialucci Podcast Episode #60 BBC Journalist and Author Mike Wendling Charles and Theo chat with Mike Wendling who is a writer, producer, broadcaster and editor at BBC Trending which investigates social media stories, he's spent years covering extremism and internet culture for radio, online and television, and was part of the BBC team covering the 2016 US presidential election. He's also author of Alt-Right: From 4chan to the White House, which goes into the white nationalism, misogynist, far-right movement that rose to prominence during Donald Trump's successful election campaign in the United States. Watch, Listen and Follow on...YouTubePeriscopeTwitterFacebookI-TunesSoundcloudStitcher@VialucciMediaRecorded in London.Audio & Visual Production by Kerem Isik. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was a result not many people predicted: the Conservatives won their largest majority since 1987, and Labour lost seats in its northern heartlands, despite social media suggesting there would be a ‘youthquake’ at the polls. There was also an array of bizarre moments from the TV coverage. So, what exactly happened last night? In this episode BBC 5 Live’s Scott Bryan takes us through the TV highs and lows of the night. We also speak to Marianna Spring and Joey D’Urso from BBC Trending, who tell us how the ‘social media election’ turned out, and The Atlantic’s Tom McTague explains how the Tories flipped the Labour strongholds in Wales and the north of England. Presenter: Matthew Price Producers: Philly Beaumont and Seren Jones Mixed by Nicolas Raufast Editor: John Shields

"Go home!" That's what some tourists are being told when they visit the Athens district of Exarchia. It’s been described as an "anarchist enclave", a place where riot police regularly clash with local activists. But it’s also a rapidly gentrifying area where Instagramable coffee shops are adorned with colourful, anti-establishment graffiti. Its central location and cheap property prices mean that Exarchia has in recent years attracted increasing numbers of tourists. This in turn has stoked resentment among some activists, who say the pressures of tourism have driven rents up and pushed long-established residents out of their homes. Radical left-wing groups have called for direct action to stop this trend. They hang banners telling tourists they are "targets", vandalise flats rented out via Airbnb, and post videos of their comrades shouting at visitors to leave. But others in the neighbourhood argue tourism is giving Greece the means to recover from a devastating economic crisis and years of financial austerity. BBC Trending travels to the beating heart of Exarchia to meet residents, activists and tourists. What happens when Instagram hipsters clash with local activists? Presenter: Mike Wendling Reporter: Jessica Bateman Producer: Marco Silva (Photo Caption: Activists stencil a slogan reading "Flats for immigrants not for Airbnb" on a wall in central Athens / Photo Credit: Getty Images)

A revolution is underway in Cuba. The country’s communist leaders, who normally retain tight control of the media, have encouraged Cubans to become more connected online. Internet access used to be the preserve of a privileged (and relatively rich) few. But prices have come down, public wifi spots are popular, and less than a year ago 3G data access became available on Cuban phones. Along with a huge uptake in the internet has come a flood of Cubans signing up to social media accounts. Even President Miguel Diaz-Canel is on Twitter. And unlike staid and traditional state-run media, Cuban social media is relatively open, freewheeling, full of jokes, criticism of the government and, of course, memes. Prices are still high and the government keeps a close eye on dissidents or “counter-revolutionaries”. But online, Cubans are exploring new ways to communicate that would have been unheard of just a few years ago. The BBC’s Cuba correspondent Will Grant and BBC Trending reporter Reha Kansara have been meeting the Cubans at the forefront of their country’s digital revolution. They meet political podcasters, a lesbian activist, a pro-government blogger, a gamer-turned-protester, a dissident journalist and one of Cuba’s biggest YouTube stars. How are Cubans making their voices heard in a way they never have before – and how might social media transform the country?

A revolution is underway in Cuba. The country’s communist leaders, who normally retain tight control of the media, have encouraged Cubans to become more connected online. Internet access used to be the preserve of a privileged (and relatively rich) few. But prices have come down, public wifi spots are popular, and less than a year ago 3G data access became available on Cuban phones. Along with a huge uptake in the internet has come a flood of Cubans signing up to social media accounts. Even President Miguel Diaz-Canel is on Twitter. And unlike staid and traditional state-run media, Cuban social media is relatively open, freewheeling, full of jokes, criticism of the government and, of course, memes. Prices are still high and the government keeps a close eye on dissidents or “counter-revolutionaries”. But online, Cubans are exploring new ways to communicate that would have been unheard of just a few years ago. The BBC’s Cuba correspondent Will Grant and BBC Trending reporter Reha Kansara have been meeting the Cubans at the forefront of their country’s digital revolution. They meet political podcasters, a lesbian activist, a pro-government blogger, a gamer-turned-protester, a dissident journalist and one of Cuba’s biggest YouTube stars. How are Cubans making their voices heard in a way they never have before – and how might social media transform the country? Presenters: Will Grant and Reha Kansara Photo: A young Cuban standing by the waterfront in Havana accesses the internet on his phone.

Two mass shootings in 24 hours have shocked America: the first in El Paso, Texas and the other in Dayton, Ohio. 29 people have lost their lives. The El Paso shooter opened fire in a Walmart store only a few miles from the Mexican border. Police are treating the attack as domestic terrorism after finding an anti-immigrant “manifesto” on 8chan - a forum that promotes freedom of speech. We speak to Michael Wendling from BBC Trending about how 8chan came to be taken offline. The BBC’s security correspondent Gordon Corera tells us why the security services are finding it tough to police white supremacist violence. Producers: Seren Jones, Philly Beaumont Mixed by Nico Raufast Editor: John Shields

Today marks exactly 50 years since the launch of the Apollo 11 mission to put the first man on the Moon. Ever since that day in 1969 conspiracy theories have sprung up alleging that the whole thing is a hoax, and now there is a growing community of people who don’t even believe the earth is round. In this episode, Marco Silva, a reporter for BBC Trending introduces us to Dave from Sheffield, a man who is convinced that the earth is flat. He is part of a group whose false ideas have spread with the help of the YouTube algorithm. We learn about the people trying to address the misinformation problem and what YouTube is doing about conspiracy theories on its platform. If you want to know how dangerous medical misinformation can be spread by health bloggers, you can listen to our anti-vax episode here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p072rpnk Producers: Lucy Hancock and Alicia Burrell Editor: John Shields

The video-sharing app TikTok has taken the teenage world by storm. But where there are kids, there are also predators. We found dozens of adults using TikTok to post sexual comments on videos uploaded by teenagers and children. TikTok, which has 500 million users worldwide, says it is working hard to protect its users from inappropriate approaches. But a BBC Trending investigation exposed some worrying shortcomings in the way it deals with the problem. Presenter: Mike Wendling Reporter: Marco Silva (Photo: TikTok logo. Credit: TikTok)

After the mass shooting at two mosques in New Zealand in which 50 people were killed there has been widespread shock that it happened in a country that regards itself as inclusive and welcoming. The attack was livestreamed on Facebook, and social media companies were criticised for waiting too long to take the footage down. But the attacker also posted on extreme free speech message boards – where a racist subculture is thriving. We speak to Mike Wendling, Editor of BBC Trending, who has been tracking this subculture, and to Dominic Casciani, who covers terrorism for the BBC, to find out how the security services are dealing with this new challenge. Producer: Philly Beaumont Editor: John Shields Mixed by Andy Mills

Since the election of Donald Trump, there’s been a disturbing wave of street violence across America. The epicentre is Portland, Oregon, a place better known for its chilled out hipster lifestyle – but which has been the scene of dozens of far-right marches and rallies. Those events often result in arrests and violence. BBC Trending went there to meet two activists who have been on opposite sides of the fighting. Anti-fascist activist Luis Enrique Marquez and Rob Cantrall, member of the far-right Proud Boys group, have agreed to meet for a discussion. But will they have any common ground to bridge the political divide? Presenter: Mike Wendling Producers: Linda Sills & Natalia Zuo Editor: Jeremy Skeet (Photo Caption: A far-right protester in Portland / Photo Credit: Getty Images)

There is a disturbing new wave of political street violence in America. Groups on the far right and the far left have clashed in New York, Berkeley, California, and Charlottesville, Virginia. But one liberal enclave is the main battleground: Portland, Oregon - a progressive city in the Pacific north-west. BBC Trending has visited Portland to meet two activists who have traded insults and threats online, as well as confronting each other in the streets. What drives anti-fascist Luis Enrique Marquez? And why has marijuana farmer Rob Cantrall joined the Proud Boys, which one anti-extremism organisation has dubbed a hate group? Presenter: Mike Wendling Producers: Linda Sills and Natalia Zuo (Photo: Anti-fascist activists line up in front of police in Portland. Credit: Getty Images)

Carrie Goldberg’s life changed when an ex-boyfriend threatened to post naked pictures and videos of her online. She was already practicing as a lawyer, but quit her job to start her own firm and give her clients - as she puts it - “the lawyer I needed when I was going through hell.” When she began in 2014, there were few laws against what is now known as “revenge porn” – the non-consensual sharing of explicit photos online. Now many countries and US states have passed anti-revenge porn laws. Movements like #MeToo have also focused attention on sexual consent and harassment. Carrie Goldberg tells BBC Trending how she has won legal victories for her clients. And she explains why social media and dating apps are both part of the solution and part of the problem. Presenter: Mike Wendling Producer: Anisa Subedar (Photo: Carrie Goldberg in her New York office / Credit: BBC Copyright)

A look at BBC Trending’s highlights from the past year of covering social media. From America’s student anti-gun movement to the continuing noise made by #MeToo activists, social media played a huge role in some of the biggest political movements of the year. And of course the World Cup was drenched in tweets and hashtags - plus, we visit the gaming team with an average age of 67. All that and more, in our roundup of the year on social media as seen by BBC Trending. Presenter: Mike Wendling Producer: Reha Kansara Sound Engineers: Rod Farquar and Graham Puddifoot Photo Caption: A hashtag in a speech bubble Photo Credit: Getty Images

YouTube has deleted thousands of videos after a BBC Trending investigation. Seven months after we initially broke the story of essay-writing services advertised by top YouTubers, we found that the problem is bigger than ever, and academic cheating companies like EduBirdie have now moved on to other platforms like Snapchat, Facebook and Google. After alerting the tech giants of our findings, YouTube and Facebook took direct action and removed some of the content promoting essay writing companies. They say they’re taking steps to discourage dishonest behaviour. Using essay-writing services can lead to serious penalties for students – getting them expelled from university or school. And YouTubers who advertise such services risk having their videos taken down. We hear from YouTuber Nick Sturgeon who regrets having advertised a well-known academic cheating company on his channel - and a student who was blackmailed when he paid to have his work written for him. Presenter: Anisa Subedar Reporters: Ed Main and Branwen Jeffreys Studio Managers: James Beard and Rod Farquhar Photo Caption: A YouTuber advertising the EduBirdie essay-writing service Photo Credit: YouTube

An exclusive investigation by BBC Trending looks at the YouTubers who are promoting academic cheating online. More than 250 popular YouTube channels have been paid to advertise Edubirdie, an essay-writing company. Many of the adverts, which collectively have had hundreds of millions of views, urge students to hire a “super smart nerd” to write their essays. It’s not illegal, but students caught handing in other people’s work can face serious consequences. So are the video stars misusing their power to influence and what is YouTube doing about it? The statistician Hans Rosling used data to explain how the world was changing – and often improving – more than we think and he would challenge people to examine their preconceptions. Before his death, he started working on a book about the mental biases that tend to lead us astray. Tim Harford speaks to his son Ola and daughter in law Anna who worked on the book with him. Why do people fall victim to online romance frauds? With false online profiles, doctored photographs, and convincing background stories, online fraudsters target people who are looking for love. Once they have hooked their victims, they set about stealing money from them. But what convinces people that their new relationship is so realistic that they become willing to hand over large amounts of money to someone who they may never meet. Shari Vahl reports. (Photo: Popular YouTuber Adam Saleh has advertised Edubirdie on his channel. Photo credit: Adam Saleh/YouTube)

On this episode of Fault Lines, guests join hosts Garland Nixon and Lee Stranahan discussing the mainstream media's (mis)coverage of Syria, the Skripal case, Russia, and other topics. Fault Lines frequent guest Vanessa Beeley called BBC Trending's attacks or her and other journalists a “blatant attempt” to “silence independent journalism.” Other Sputnik and RT guests have been pressured into silence. Are the mainstream media working to limit your right to hear diverse views? If so, what can you do about it?The hosts will also engage guests in discussions about the ongoing blackout in Puerto Rico, in the Southwestern Hemisphere and other top news and trending issues in the “Divided States of America.”Scheduled guests and topics:Stephen Lendman prolific independent journalist http://stephenlendman.org/ Topic: his article “True Targets of US-Led Aggression in Syria” Joel Segal Former Top Congressional Staffer, National Ditection Justice Action Mobilization Network Topic: Puerto Rico Black OutFreedom Friday with Holly “Hood” Harris Topics: a libertarian perspective on Syria and Immigration raids Ivan Eland, Author, Defense Policy Expert, Journalist Topic: Trump's Foreign Policy re: Syria and KoreaAustin Petersen - Candidate for Senate in Missouri | Topic: What are we doing in Syria?

A special report from Washington, where thousands of students are marching in favour of stricter gun control laws. BBC Trending has been following three student activists affected by gun violence. The students are demanding bans on powerful semi-automatic rifles and a comprehensive raft of measures to stop school shootings. Vladimir Putin has won a second consecutive and fourth overall term as the Russian President with official polling results from the election showing he received over 76% of the vote, with a total turnout of 67%, but there were also widespread allegations of irregularities including inflated turnout figures. We take a closer look at the election data from Russia to see if these complaints have merit. Machines are merging into our lives in ever more intimate ways. They interact with our children and assist with medical decisions. Cars are learning to drive themselves, and algorithms can determine who gets government assistance and help suggest our romantic partners. But machines learn from the instructions humans give them. So, how do we know that the technology we are creating is going to do the right thing? Sandra Kanthal reports.

A BBC Trending investigation has found huge inconsistencies in how YouTube deals with neo-Nazi hate music. These are songs - many from punk and hardcore bands active in the 80s and 90s – which have found a new life in online videos, using extreme violent language and imagery to advocate murder and violence against minority groups. Whenever Donald Trump talks about trade, he points to the US trade balance, claiming America has a trade deficit with almost every country in the world. We unpick whether President Trump is quoting the correct numbers, and hear how trade figures can vary widely between countries, depending on how they do the counting. Laziness, slothfulness, idleness and apathy are used as criticisms and insults against individuals, groups and sometimes whole countries. But why? The Greeks saw laziness as a virtue and something to be sought after whereas today we look down on being unproductive. Catherine Carr asks if we should keep ourselves constantly busy or feel less guilty about doing nothing. (Photo: A screen grab from a neo-Nazi music video on YouTube. / Credit: YouTube)

Mr Darcy, the male love interest in Jane Austen’s 19th Century English novel Pride and Prejudice is supposed to be fabulously wealthy on an income of £10,000 a year, but two hundred years later, it’s not clear how rich he really is. As Tim Harford discovers, you need to do more than adjust the amount for inflation. A BBC Trending investigation finds that part of YouTube's system for reporting sexualised comments left on children's videos has not been functioning correctly for more than a year, according to volunteer moderators inside YouTube’s “Trusted Flagger” programme. What can we learn about politics from the power struggles within chimpanzee groups? Professor James Tilley explores the parallels between our political world and that of other primates. (Photo: Colin Firth as Mr Darcy and Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet in the BBC adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice 1995)

If the US is going to build a wall on its border with Mexico, it’s going to take a lot of concrete - millions of tonnes, in fact. But this is a tiny amount compared with China’s concrete use. It’s often said that China used more concrete between 2008-2011 than the US did in the whole of the 20th Century. It sounds astonishing - and is it true? Wesley Stephenson finds out. After comments by author Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche divided opinion over transgender women, we speak to members of some of Nigeria’s secret gay and transgender groups who rely on each other on social media for support. Also, Joey Daley from Ohio has documented his mother Molly’s dementia. One film in which she failed to recognise him for the first time was viewed nearly 2 million times. Joey speaks to BBC Trending about how it feels to care for someone with dementia. And Lee Kumutat examines why blindness comes to define the identity of people who have little or no sight. She talks to people in Jamaica, Ghana, Scotland and California about how they navigate a world which seems to see them as either inspirational or deserving pity. Or both. Image: Getty/Credit: David McNew / Stringer

After comments by writer and author Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche divided opinion, we speak to members of some of Nigeria’s secret gay and transgender on groups who rely on each other on social media for support. They communicate with each other in private and closed ambiguously named WhatsApp and Facebook groups. Joey Daley from Ohio has documented his mother Molly’s dementia. One film in which she failed to recognise him for the first time was viewed nearly 2 million times. Joey speaks to BBC Trending about how it feels to care for someone with dementia. Presenter: Mike Wendling Producer: Anisa Subedar (Image/Credit: Miss Sahhara)

In the show today, we will talk about two chatbots that can help you challenge your parking ticket and organise your work life. Also, are you looking for a secondary phone to take with you on that hike? We will talk about an option that is light, thin and small as a credit card.   Show Notes:   DONOTPAY   Chatbots are increasingly providing services today that humans did only a few short years ago.   DoNotPay is a chatbot which was developed by Joshua Browder and he calls it "the world's first robot lawyer".  When Joshua was about 18 years old he began driving and started to receive a large number of parking tickets. He decided to create a service – a computer program that can help him challenge these tickets.   It worked so great that a year later it successfully appealed over 250,000 tickets. He then expanded this service to cover emergency housing and now it helps asylum seekers.   Refugees can complete immigration applications in the US, Canada and the UK by using this service. This service uses Facebook Messenger to gather information about a case before providing advice and legal documents.   "It works by asking a series of questions to determine if a refugee is eligible for asylum protection under international law," he tells BBC Trending, "for example: 'are you afraid of being subjected to torture in your home country?'   "Once it knows a user can claim asylum, it takes down hundreds of details and automatically fills in a completed immigration application.”   The bot suggests ways the asylum seeker can answer questions to increase their chances of having applications accepted as well. It also provides locations to send their applications in along with other documentation and resources.   Currently, the lawyer bot is available via the Facebook Messenger app for Android and Apple users. Browder is looking to bring this service in other languages and apps including WhatsApp.   Astro   Astro is a native email app on iOS and Mac that separates your email into two groups - Priority and Other - and allows you to snooze emails until later. In addition to this the company is working on adding a chatbot to this service.   This service will help to create filters and mark VIP contacts. Also, it will monitor your usage and then offer to automatically do it for you like if you normally snooze emails from the family until the evening then Astro will offer to do it for you instead.   You can tell it to clear out old emails, or remind you to email your boss in the morning.   It will observe the emails you delete and ask if you just want to unsubscribe.   So what Astro is looking to do is to become an assistant that can eventually handle most of your daily tasks by working through different systems.   The Light Phone   The Light Phone is made to simplify your life and make it distraction free.   I know some people carry a second phone around, if you are considering such a move, the Light Phone is a good option to look at.   The size of the Light Phone is the exact size of a credit card with a thickness of about stacking about 5 credit cards together which is still thinner than the iPhone 7 plus.   Specifications   Color – Matte White Weight – 38.5 grams (iPhone weights about 100 grams more) Display – OLED Battery – 3 Days Standby SIM – Nano SIM Connector – Micro USB Language – English Connection – GSM 850/900 1800/1900 MHz OS – Android   In the U.S. you can set up this phone as a call forwarding from your primary smartphone, which will forward all incoming calls to The Light Phone. This comes with a $5 service fee. For international users, this phone can be used as a standalone with no service fee.   The Light phone is on pre-order for $150 US and you can place your order at theLightPhone.com.

What happened last night in Sweden? Ruth Alexander tells the strange tale that connects Donald Trump, rape in Sweden, immigration and her reporting on More or Less. Why did a network of Twitter accounts, usually the source of pro-Russian messages, pump out tweets about a very specific British election? BBC Trending’s Mike Wendling investigates. And why do some people stammer? More than 70 million people globally – that’s about 1% of the world’s population - are affected by this neurological condition. Becky Milligan talks to people with a stammer to find out the effect on their lives. She also discovers what treatments are available and whether stammering can be cured. Image: Getty / Joe Raedle

In the wake of Donald Trump’s claim that three million people may have voted illegally in last year’s presidential elections, we scrutinise the American electoral system and the work of the Electoral Integrity Project that suggests North Carolina is on a par with Cuba. A disturbing rumour’s been trending online recently - of a paedophile ring on YouTube. BBC Trending investigates and debunks another internet myth. In his first TV interview as US President, Donald Trump claimed that torture “absolutely” works and said the US should “fight fire with fire.” But what evidence is there that torture is an effective method of obtaining valuable intelligence? And, can the use of torture ever be justified? Becky Milligan hears from a former interrogator who worked at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, a former political prisoner who was tortured in the notorious Evin prison in Tehran, and a neuroscientist who has studied the effects of torture on the brain. (Photo: Americans head to the polls in Charlotte, North Carolina. Credit: Davis Turner/Getty Images)

How many people attended President Trump’s inauguration? How many people went to the Women’s March in Washington DC the next day? A fierce debate has been raging about the numbers of people at each event. We explore the difficulties of counting people in a crowd. Tens of thousands of automated videos have appeared online recently. All feature photos of news events accompanied by a robotic voice. BBC Trending’s very own digital supersleuth Mike Wendling investigates who’s making them and why. Can deep-frozen bodies ever return from the dead? Mike Williams explores the science, the motivation and the ethics behind cryonics and asks whether frozen human bodies will ever be fit for a new life. (image: Attendees line the Mall at Trump's Inauguration Day in Washington DC. Photo: Lucas Jackson/Getty Images)

President Rodrigo Duterte was elected to power in the Philippines promising to tackle crime and to feed the corpses of drug dealers to the fish. In the months since he took office almost 5,000 people are believed to have been killed by police and vigilantes. The BBC Trending team investigates how Duterte's 'war on drugs' is playing out in real life, and how a sophisticated social media strategy is ensuring support for the controversial policy.

Following a referendum, the UK has voted to leave the European Union. What might that mean for the UK’s economy, especially for trade? Tim Harford examines the economic forecasts from the government, and how the UK might manage its relationships with other countries for More Or Less. Why have murder rates spiked in several US cities? The head of the FBI, James Comey, has asked whether police are holding back from their work through fear of being filmed on camera phones and going viral on YouTube. The theory has been dubbed the ‘Viral Video Effect’, or the ‘Ferguson Effect’ after the city that witnessed unrest after a black teenager was killed by a white police officer. BBC Trending reports. Why are we attracted to some people and to not others? Beauty, facial symmetry, personality and values all play a role in our attraction to others. Evolution biologist Dr Anna Machin from Oxford University explains the science behind our feelings. Mike Williams presents the Why Factor. (Photo: A pay-per-view binocular with the British and European Union flags. Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

In More Or Less Wesley Stephenson finds out how the search for new antibiotics is hampered not by science but by economics. Despite the $40 billion market worldwide there is no money to be made so big pharmaceuticals have all but stopped their research. Why is this and how do we entice them back in? BBC Trending reports on the violence which has erupted over the use of Afrikaans at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Some students want to see the language banned from lecture theatres, and say its presence is a form of racism. But others think it should remain. And a Hollywood actor – Terry Crews – has posted several videos to Facebook about fighting his addiction to pornography. It sparked a wave of support in online communities dedicated to abstaining from porn. In the Why Factor Mike Williams asks why we search for the origins of life. He visits the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, where researchers from around the world have built the largest single machine on earth to discover some of the most extreme elements of nature, from the heart of an atom to the origins of the universe. (Photo: Computer artwork of bacteria. Credit: Science Photo Library)

Is Britain poorer than every US state, except for Mississippi? Journalist Fraser Nelson calculates that's the case. Tim Harford speaks to economist Chris Dillow about why he's right. Late last year BBC Trending referred to Eritrea as ‘tiny'. Listeners complained and the complaint was upheld. More or Less talks to Trending producer Mukul Devichand and asks whether any country can rightly be called ‘tiny'.