@BBCtrending

In depth reporting about the world of social media. Listen to our podcast: https://nitter.cf/t.co/QQ5bYkFixC

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Joined July 2013
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Search for BBC The Darkest Web from 17 February to watch on BBC platforms and listen wherever you get your podcasts.
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The BBC has gone undercover on Telegram to investigate how Ukrainians are being offered thousands of dollars to stage arson attacks and bombings against their own country. Ukraine has accused Russia of using Telegram - and in some cases TikTok or even video game platforms - to recruit teenagers and children as young as 11 to carry out sabotage. Using a burner phone and an alias, BBC Trending contacted Telegram channels and accounts which offer a sliding scale of payments depending on the target. These ranged from $1,500 for setting fire to a post office to $3,000 for a bank. Payment, either in cryptocurrency or via bank transfer, was promised in return for video proof of arson.  An 18-year-old, who is awaiting trial on terrorism charges, told the BBC he was promised $2,000 to plant a bomb in a van used by the conscription service, but the attack was foiled. Read more👀: bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8r0… Listen 🎧: bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct72t…
A still from an SBU video for a publicity campaign warning young people not to allow themselves to be recruited as saboteurs. The fictionalised image shows a hooded teenage girl walking from a van she has just set fire to at night. In the left of the screen is an untranslated image of the girl's phone messaging exchanges with the person who has ordered her to carry out the attack.

ALT A still from an SBU video for a publicity campaign warning young people not to allow themselves to be recruited as saboteurs. The fictionalised image shows a hooded teenage girl walking from a van she has just set fire to at night. In the left of the screen is an untranslated image of the girl's phone messaging exchanges with the person who has ordered her to carry out the attack.

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Sabotage by smartphone: Ukrainian teenagers are being recruited on Telegram to commit acts of sabotage against their own country. @BBCTrending investigates with @hardoond and BBC Ukrainian in the last episode of our current series bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0m8kk…

The Documentary Podcast - Sabotage by smartphone - BBC Sounds

Ukrainians are being recruited to carry out sabotage attacks against their own country.

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Moldova goes to the polls this weekend. Will a fugitive oligarch sway the election? The BBC goes undercover to investigate how a Russian-funded fake news network aims to disrupt the vote 🎧 bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct72t…

BBC World Service - Trending, Will a fugitive oligarch sway Moldova’s election?

The BBC goes undercover, exposing a disinformation campaign ahead of Moldova’s election.

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Judging by how often US President Donald Trump has repeated the slogan “Drill, baby, drill”, you might be tempted to think he coined the phrase. 🧵
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No, there isn’t a "white genocide" happening in South Africa - read more about our latest episode from @griffmedia and @mpholakaje on the BBC Verify Live page bbc.co.uk/news/live/c5yxd1gv…

BBC Verify Live: Spending review unpacked and Gaza aid chaos

Latest updates from the BBC's specialists in fact-checking, verifying video and tackling disinformation.

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Unmasking the mysterious informer who aided President Putin’s efforts to crush dissent: bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0lg4y… Anna Korobokova boasted online of taking pleasure in denouncing hundreds of her fellow Russians to the authorities. But nobody had met her or knew who she really was. @agent_Alka reports on how one of Korobkova’ victims turned detective to discover the serial denouncer’s real identity.

The Documentary Podcast - Russian informers: Hunting the enemy within - BBC Sounds

How a victim of Russia’s super informer exposed their persecutor’s real identity.

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What does the digital footprint of a smuggler tell us about his criminal activities? We’ve tracked one man held responsible for the deaths of several migrants aboard a boat that went adrift earlier this year. Listen to ‘From a smugglers TikTok to tragedy’ to hear more. bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0l768…
A BBC promo image showing Fadi Gujjar and the boat which got lost at sea off the coast of West Africa. The images are superimposed over an image of Mauritania on a map.

ALT A BBC promo image showing Fadi Gujjar and the boat which got lost at sea off the coast of West Africa. The images are superimposed over an image of Mauritania on a map.

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Unlabelled political ads, thousands of inauthentic accounts and mysterious comments - this was TikTok in Romania ahead of December's elections. Far-right candidate Calin Georgescu's shock victory in the first round of elections was annulled last year amid accusations of Russian interference. Polls reopen in Romania this weekend, but Georgescu has been barred from running. BBC Trending has spoken to Romanian influencers, accused of taking part in TikTok campaigns which derailed the election. They told us their videos were flooded with comments in support of Calin Georgescu. @IngsRowan reports: bbc.co.uk/articles/cqx41x3gn…

Romanian elections: TikTokers and an election scandal

The BBC speaks to Romanian influencers, implicated in the unprecedented cancellation of an EU election

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Earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg announced Meta would abandon the use of independent fact-checkers on Facebook and Instagram in the United States. Instead, the company says it will be following X’s lead by shifting to Community Notes. But what does this shift really mean? Will it lead to more free speech and fewer errors? Or does it open the door for misinformation to spread more easily? @mariannaspring reports: bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct5y9…
A stock photo showing a hand holding up a phone in front of Meta's logo with messages from "Zuck" on screen.

ALT A stock photo showing a hand holding up a phone in front of Meta's logo with messages from "Zuck" on screen.

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How big a problem is music streaming fraud? The US Department of Justice has accused musician Mike Smith of using AI 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. @bethanjgodwin investigates the dark side of music streaming: youtube.com/watch?v=8RpxiEuG…
Young woman looks at the camera with a graphic showing money floating in the background

ALT Young woman looks at the camera with a graphic showing money floating in the background

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How did a social media post about a strange-looking ship 🚢trigger an explosion of conspiracy theories? I have been investigating how false claims about last year's flash floods in Valencia spread online 👇 Watch here: youtu.be/Xa-a4udzZ4g?si=NvGY…
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🇳🇬 Who are the fertility scammers targeting Nigerian women desperate for motherhood - and fuelling an underground trade in babies? #BBCAfricaEye goes undercover to investigate. 📽️ Watch the full documentary here: youtu.be/r62xSGw3kcI #CrypticPregnancy

Nigeria's Miracle Baby Scammers

BBC Africa Eye Documentary

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The Big Game is going down a storm on Somali Tikok. Influencers 'battle' each other to prove their clan is superior on the night - to an audience of tens of thousands. But are these games just entertainment? 🧵
A composite image of two TikTok live games with the faces of competitors blurred out- and one with a Halloween pumpkin head superimposed on it

ALT A composite image of two TikTok live games with the faces of competitors blurred out- and one with a Halloween pumpkin head superimposed on it

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She was verbally abused by a US-based male influencer who participates in the TikTok games. He also threatened to publish fake sexualised images of her. Zara says it happens a lot, you can read her story here: bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj0j…

Somali TikTok battles: 'Why I spent my university fees on the Big Tribal Game'

Somalis gamble big money during livestream events as ancient clan fights are waged on social media.

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In a statement, TikTok said: "We prioritise the safety of our community with some of the industry's firmest streaming requirements, including specific policies for Match content, customisable safety tools for viewers, and only allowing people over 18 to go live or send gifts."
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