BBC Radio Podcasts from Trending
Trending is moving to the Documentary Podcast
New episodes of Trending can be found in the BBC World Service's Documentary Podcast
Colombia’s guerrilla recruitment video problem
Fighters from dissident armed groups in Colombia are using TikTok to recruit youngsters.
The Kenyan influencer championing climate denial
How a Kenyan farmer became the flag bearer for fossil fuels in Africa
Is Russia targeting Poland's farmers’ protests?
A pro-Russian image from a farmers protest in Poland went viral. Who's the man behind it?
Love and deception in the age of AI
How is AI redefining love on Tinder?
Long Covid: Think yourself well?
BBC Trending investigates a controversial treatment programme being promoted online.
The anti-vax candidate?
Will Robert F Kennedy Jr’s views on vaccines help or hinder his bid for the White House?
Democracy on the brink in Tunisia?
Is social media being used to surveil and suppress debate in Tunisia?
The new fight for land rights
How indigenous Malaysians are using technology and social media to assert land rights.
Fear and conspiracies in Las Vegas
How the survivor of a mass shooting in Las Vegas fell into a world of conspiracy theories
The disinformation war in the Middle East
An online propaganda battle is raging alongside the war between Israel and Hamas.
The Mexican mayor and a deepfake scandal
How a mayor in Mexico became embroiled in a deepfake audio scandal
Crude fakes in Uganda
Who's harassing Ugandan climate activists using fake accounts?
Serbia’s real life ‘bots’
Is Serbia’s ruling party running a 'bot army'?
Exposing people smugglers
The people smugglers selling illegal routes out of Pakistan to Europe on social media.
The Voice: conspiracies and Australia's referendum
How did Australia’s indigenous rights vote become a lightning rod for conspiracies?
Trolled by a life coaching cult
A life coaching group has been accused of trolling former members.
Inside America’s political battleground
Meet those involved in controversial groups on both sides of the US political spectrum.
India's latest 'love trap'
Why are videos of ‘interfaith couples’ being harassed and attacked going viral in India?
TikTok frenzies
A deep dive into how the TikTok algorithm could be whipping up its users into frenzies.
How to exit the manosphere
How can men escape being sucked into extreme misogynistic views online?
The germ deniers
Rachel Schraer investigates the people who don’t believe in germs.
The AI ghosts haunting TikTok
AI is being used to depict murdered children in a macabre TikTok video trend. But why?
Venezuelan deepfakes and propaganda
Carl Miller delves into the tactics used by Venezuela to control the narrative online.
Who’s trolling successful Asian women?
High-profile Asian women are being targeted online, but who is behind the attacks?
Trolled by a life coaching cult
A life coaching group has been accused of trolling former members.
Ghouling: The trolls targeting bereaved people
A viral anti-vax conspiracy theory is seized on by trolls to harass bereaved people
Brazil’s real life trolls
Dangerous disinformation and trolling in Brazil have rocked the country's democracy.
Twitter ‘ninjas’ against climate denial
Meet the internet vigilantes standing up to climate-denying trolls on Twitter.
Myanmar’s digital battleground
Prominent Burmese women are being targeted with hate speech and abuse online.
Elon Musk's Twitter storm
How is Elon Musk’s ownership transforming Twitter?
How humanitarian crises are exploited online
We investigate the money-making schemes that spring up in the wake of conflict.
Cash for conspiracy theories
What’s the best way to stop people making money from harmful conspiracy theories?
Akon’s Wakanda and a crumbling crypto dream
Will Akon’s plans for a futuristic ‘crypto-city’ ever happen?
Med beds: Miracle cure or misinformation?
Why have ‘med beds’ taken off online and who is selling them?
SafeMoon and the chaotic world of crypto
SafeMoon promised investors a trip to the moon but instead cost some their life savings.
India’s anti-MLM movement
People are being lured with false promises into direct selling - who will fight back?
The influencer and the insider: Chinmark's demise
The collapse of a much-hyped business empire offers a warning to investors everywhere.
The 'Alan MacMasters’ toaster hoax
The anatomy of a Wikipedia hoax about the inventor of the electrical toaster
Roe v Wade: The next battle
BBC Trending investigates misinformation about abortion since Roe v Wade was overturned.
Political influencers for hire – in Kenya
Meet the Kenyan influencers being offered cash for political messages.
Can MrBeast help fix climate change?
Will the YouTuber's viral environmental campaigns make any actual difference?
The strange story of QAnon in Japan
How did a bizarre US-based conspiracy theory lead to street protests around Japan?
The misrule of Canada’s QAnon queen
The QAnon influencer whose “royal decrees” are causing real life harm to her followers.
Russian QAnon and the Ukraine dilemma
Why is QAnon attracting followers in Russia and why are many of them now falling silent?
Has QAnon fuelled South Africa’s divisions?
The unlikely impact of a US-based conspiracy theory thousands of miles away in Africa.
QAnon at the ballot box
A mysterious QAnon influencer has enlisted people to run for office across the US.
India’s alt-right 'trads'
A movement of young Hindu nationalists takes inspiration from the American alt-right.
The online boom in climate doom
Why is climate doom going viral and who is fighting the tide?
Gaming Brazil's election
How will Brazil’s gaming community affect the upcoming presidential election?
Confessions of an election troll in the Philippines
We hear from a troll from the Philippines - the "patient zero" of fake news.
Tortured for tweeting?
A Ugandan satirist mocked the president’s son on Twitter. He says he was then tortured
Ghana's free speech crackdown
Why have a handful of Ghanaian journalists and influencers recently been arrested?
Defecting online: How soldiers are deserting the Burmese army
Burmese soldiers are leaving the armed forces in droves – aided by social media
War scams: The criminals exploiting conflict in Ukraine
Scammers are using emotionally charged tricks in a bid to steal online donations.
8. Russia’s climate scepticism problem
How did climate change scepticism go mainstream in Russia?
7. The truth behind Saudi’s eco-city
Saudi Arabia says it’s going green. But will the reality live up to the rhetoric?
6. How bad information polluted the climate debate
Unearthing the truth behind some of the biggest pieces of climate change disinformation
5. ‘We fight climate denial on Wikipedia’
Has Wikipedia won its long-running fight against climate change denial and bad science?
4. From Covid conspiracy to climate change denial
A movement infected with pandemic conspiracies is now peddling climate change falsehoods
3. The good science of ‘bad Brazilians’
Do Brazilian leaders really believe in fighting climate change?
2. Big oil in the dock
Is the fossil fuel industry misleading the public about its role in climate change?
1. The 'd-words' v the planet
Could disinformation and denial sabotage the fight to prevent runaway climate change?
Beirut blast: Looking for Eleni
The hunt for a missing woman in the aftermath of Lebanon’s darkest day.
The Kenyans who help the world to cheat
The Kenyans escaping poverty by helping lazy foreigners to fake their academic work.
The cops weaponising copyright
Could your favourite song be used to cover up the misdeeds of the police?
Nesara: The financial fantasy ruining lives
The growing popularity of a conspiracy theory that predicts all debt will be cancelled.
Who is TikTok’s masked vigilante?
Think you’re safe being an anonymous TikTok troll? Meet your worst nightmare.
Anti-vaxxers only
The Covid activists who are trying to live and love only with other unvaccinated people.
The TikTok news revolution
Why are more people getting their news from an app best known for dance videos?
The anti-vax influencer plot that flopped
Who is behind a secret plot to pay social media stars to falsely discredit Covid vaccines?
Vaccine heroes fight back
The pandemic isn’t over – but there are signs that science is beating anti-vaccine lies.
Brazil’s bubble of bad information
Why are some Brazilians unable to check information they receive via chat apps?
The rise of India’s ‘Covid quack’
India is struggling with Covid – and one man’s dodgy ideas aren’t helping.
One woman’s escape from the rabbit hole
How Catherine fell for conspiracy theories - until she turned her scepticism around.
Targeting Germany’s youth
Germany’s Querdenken movement opposes vaccines. Now it’s recruiting children.
South Africa's imported 'infodemic'
Meet the female scientists battling misinformation and online propaganda.
France’s misinformation fight
Meet the people behind a disinformation battle raging in France.
How anti-vax went viral
How did the anti-vaccine movement explode online during the course of the pandemic?
Votes, viruses, victims: 2020 in disinformation
This year we debunked dozens of online rumours and fake news stories. What happened next?
The truth behind a ‘woke’ Instagram network
Instagram accounts pledging to do good via “brand ambassadors” aren’t all that they seem.
The roots of Donald Trump’s ‘voter fraud’ strategy
What’s the real story behind allegations of fraud during the US presidential election?
Doxxed and hacked In Hong Kong
Who’s behind the shady tactics targeting pro-democracy activists online?
How to be a social media star… without the internet
What’s it like chasing online fame in one of the least connected places on earth?
Sex, monks and video fakes
How Cambodia’s top human rights activist was driven into exile by a state smear campaign.
Help! My mum is a conspiracy influencer
What would you do if one day your mum became a conspiracy theory influencer?
Disinfo wars and the all-American ‘troll farm’
An American writer was roped into a Russian disinformation campaign.
QAnon and the rabbit hole election
What impact will the QAnon conspiracy theory have on the upcoming US election?
Did a state news agency troll its critics?
Mexico’s state news agency Notimex has been accused of sending online abuse to critics.
Why do some influencers back bad products?
From make-up to gadgets: exposing the dubious products on your Instagram feed.
QAnon and on and on
Why has a bizarre conspiracy theory surged in popularity during the global pandemic?
The online heroes of the coronavirus pandemic
Meet the people dishing out good advice and sound facts about Covid-19.
How to talk about conspiracy theories
How should you engage with someone edging towards conspiracy theories?
Who spread the ‘5G coronavirus’ conspiracy theory?
Meet the man behind the absurd theory linking 5G, Covid-19 and billionaire Bill Gates.
The scammers promising poison on Facebook
A deadly chemical seems to be for sale on Facebook - but is it really what it seems?
Can viral videos stop police brutality?
George Floyd’s death was captured on camera. But can videos really stop police abuses?
The children’s video game that turned toxic
How did a child’s game become a hotbed of abuse, bullying, racist and sexual content?
Are Instagrammers ruining nature?
One man is naming and shaming influencers who trample nature to get that perfect photo.
The human cost of viral misinformation
A BBC investigation has found bad info linked to arsons, serious injuries and even deaths.
Inside the world of the meninists
Who are “men's rights activists” - and what do they want?
What happens after you go viral?
Two stories about social media storms. What happened after the crowds moved on?
How scammers are exploiting coronavirus fears
From phishing emails to bogus cures, coronavirus-themed scams have exploded online.
How coronavirus is changing online dating
Finding a partner is hard even without a pandemic. So what’s dating like during lockdown?
How to stop viral misinformation
Seven ways we can all stop misleading posts from going viral.
How bad coronavirus info goes viral
There’s a huge amount of misinformation online. This is how one post went viral.
The fight against Poland’s ‘LGBT free zones’
Activists are using social media to fight against laws banning “LGBT ideology”
What happened when a troll met his target?
When an online troll met the target of his abuse
Did Russia leak British secrets online?
How a trove of confidential documents mysteriously emerged on a social media site
Life after YouTube fame
Dax Flame was once a top YouTuber. Where did it all go wrong – and what is he doing now?
The ‘online slave market’ aided by Silicon Valley
Women in Kuwait are being trafficked on apps. Experts call it an ‘online slave market’.
The grannies against the far-right
A small Facebook group started a conversation about ring-wing populism across Europe.
How 'state-sponsored trolling' works
More governments around the world are “trolling” – what are they doing, and why?
The ‘lifeguard’ who saves women on Instagram
One woman has a mission to save the lives of people who post suicidal thoughts online.
The Instagram suicide network
How one teenager’s phone revealed a secret network of people sharing suicidal thoughts
The rise of the 'Brazilian butt lift'
One woman’s journey as she decides whether to have her bottom enhanced.
Why Greek activists are telling tourists to leave
How an anarchist enclave in Athens started a conversation about gentrification.
Cuba’s digital revolution
Cubans are getting online – so how is the internet transforming this communist country?
Can an algorithm be racist?
An artificial intelligence expert says the internet is dividing us and making us angrier.
How worried should we be about deepfakes?
It’s been a subject of scary headlines, but what’s the truth about fake video technology?
The problem with the viral celery juice ‘cure’
An influencer claims he can help cure chronic illnesses by getting advice from spirits.
Algeria’s disinformation battle
Fake news and web trolls have been shaping the conversation about Algeria's future.
The hunt for red mercury
A substance with allegedly magical properties is being sold online…only it doesn’t exist.
Living with China’s social media censorship
How do Chinese social media users navigate government censorship?
We were promised a baby on Instagram
How a scammer used social media to promise babies to adoptive couples.
Facebook’s market for illicit antiquities
Do platforms like Facebook facilitate the illegal trafficking of art and artefacts?
The people who want humans to stop having babies
Who are the “anti-natalists” and why do they want the gradual extinction of humanity?
Can YouTube be trusted?
YouTube responds to accusations it has allowed harmful content to spread on its platform.
How influential is a pro-Trump conspiracy theory?
We find out how QAnon may affect next year’s US presidential election.
Is YouTube to blame for the rise of flat Earth?
The social media giant is accused of promoting videos arguing the Earth isn't round.
The Emirati women fleeing their faith and family
Why are women from the United Arab Emirates fleeing their country?
How scammers took advantage of #BlueForSudan
“Sympathy scammers” are exploiting online support for Sudanese protesters.
The man who kick-started the Egyptian revolution
Wael Ghonim was behind a Facebook page that called people to Tahrir Square in 2011.
The 23-year-old fixing the world of online debate
How do you get people to talk to each other politely on the internet?
The volunteers fighting hate on Facebook
Thousands have joined closed groups to stop hate. Who are the activists of #IAmHere?
When threatening private messages go public
How graphic and threatening messages on Facebook were exposed by university students.
How YouTube decides what you should watch
The secrets of YouTube’s powerful algorithm in the words of a former company insider.
Is Russia trying to sway the European elections?
Russian disinformation could influence the vote, the EU says. Is the threat exaggerated?
What’s boosting the ‘Brazilian Butt Lift’?
It's all over social media, but it’s also a dangerous cosmetic surgical procedure.
How to survive the digital age
Author and podcaster Douglas Rushkoff wants a new fight against “anti-human” technologies
The fight for South Africa’s future
Young South Africans are using social media to transform their country’s politics.
Fake news and false confessions in Sudan protests
Were innocents framed to try discredit protests that helped topple Sudan’s former leader?
Jered Threatin: The fake rock star
A fake rock star fooled the internet. But how did he do it – and why?
TikTok’s problem with online predators
What is video-sharing app TikTok doing to stop adults from posting sexual comments?
‘I invested in Facebook … now I am ashamed’
An early investor in the world’s largest social network says the company has lost its way
Decoding far-right online hate after Christchurch
The Christchurch shooter was inspired by extreme online culture. Where does it come from?
The people behind US political violence (Part 2 of 2)
An anti-fascist activist meets a far-right Proud Boy. Will they agree on anything?
The people behind US political violence (Part 1 of 2)
Who are the Americans taking their politics to the streets – even when it means violence?
‘I hunt trolls’
After she got a death threat, Ginger Gorman dove headfirst into the world of trolls
The hackers who cracked printers for PewDiePie
Two men hacked printers and TVs in an effort to help their You Tube hero
The man reporting on Africa’s most secretive state
A Facebook page aims to cover one of the world’s most repressive countries: Eritrea
How the far right hijacked a murder
After a teenager was murdered in Berlin, activists spread rumours and fake news online
Meet the Lawyer Fighting 'Revenge Porn'
After an ex targeted her, Carrie Goldberg started a law firm to combat revenge porn
Lessons from an Instagram Star’s Failed Tour
How a viral thread caused big problems for Instagram influencer Caroline Calloway
How an Online Video Shut Down a Multimillion Dollar Experiment
We investigate how and why a nutrition study spiralled out of control
Mystery Music ‘Forced’ onto Streamers
Why are many Spotify users claiming the music was forced onto them?
What Do We Really Know About Russian Disinformation?
We meet investigators looking into social media manipulation by Russia and others
What Will 2019 Look Like on Social Media?
The stories, trends, and conversations likely to shape social media in 2019.
The Best of Trending 2018
BBC Trending’s highlights from the past year of covering social media
The YouTube Stars Selling Cheating - Update
Some YouTube stars continue to encourage cheating by promoting essay-writing services
Do Instagram Hashtags Promote Eating Disorders?
The photo network’s filters don’t always halt posts that can promote anorexia and bulimia
The Shadowy Website Running Political Ads on Facebook
An anonymous website spent thousands on pro-Brexit political ads on social media
The Sextortion Scammers
We investigate criminals who use your password to threaten to expose you on social media
Killed Because of Fake News on WhatsApp
How a rumour led to the lynching of two innocent men in Mexico
The Truth Behind a So-Called 'Suicide Game’
Hundreds of suicides were linked to the “Blue Whale Challenge” – but what’s the truth?
When The Faker Met The Fact Checker
The conclusion of our story about two men on opposing sides in the war against fake news
The Faker and the Fact Checker
Trending meets two men who appear to be on opposing sides in the war against fake news
A ‘Manspreading’ Video And Russia’s Culture Wars
A protest against men on public transport goes viral – but is it Kremlin propaganda?
The Men Who Hunt Stolen Motorbikes
In one city plagued by motorbike theft, volunteers are trying tracking down stolen bikes
The People Who Remove Your Facebook Posts
They decide what you can and can’t see. Who are Facebook’s content moderators?
The Truth Behind a Viral Murder Video
A BBC team used open-source info to find out who was responsible for a shocking crime
Can Social Media Help You Lose Weight?
Do dieting influencers and communities help or hurt when you’re trying to get in shape?
Arrested for Saving Memes in Russia
Why are some Russians put on extremist watch lists for saving or posting memes online?
Did Facebook Fuel Hate in Myanmar?
How Facebook’s dream of a more open and connected world turned into a nightmare
The Influencer Business
How do you know when someone’s selling you something on social media?
Virtually Making a Fortune?
Why are people spending real money to buy land that only exists in virtual reality?
What is #QAnon?
The online conspiracy theory that is firing up supporters of President Trump
Life As A YouTube Child Star
JD and Arabella Daho have huge followings online – but how has that affected their lives?
The Sandy Hook Hoaxers – Update
An update on the people behind a paranoid conspiracy theory
#MeToo: What’s Next? (Part 2 of 2)
We continue to look at the global effect of #MeToo
#MeToo: What’s Next? (Part 1 of 2)
It has changed the conversation about sexual assault - but what’s ahead for #MeToo?
Where Do Memes Come From?
The world of funny viral images and videos is being hacked by fringe groups.
The Silver Snipers
Five Swedish pensioners test their aim at a professional eSports tournament.
A Transgender Twitter Fight
One short message led to a Twitter ban – and highlighted a much bigger online battle
The Mysterious Wikipedia Editor
One man who’s made hundreds of thousands of edits has riled up anti-war activists.
A Vegan YouTube Court Drama
Anna Scanlon found a home on vegan YouTube. But suddenly it all changed.
Mexico’s Fake News Problem
Who is spreading fake news in advance of elections in Mexico?
Nigeria’s Secret Transgender Groups
Nigeria’s transgender community speak to us about secret online groups
Antifascists v Alt.Right
We investigate the dirty tricks used online by Antifascists and the Alt.Right in the US
NATO’s Claims of Russian ‘Misinformation’
Explaining the stories the world is sharing
China’s Rush For Divorce
Happy couples in Shanghai are getting divorced to buy homes more cheaply