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Venezuelan deepfakes and propaganda
Earlier this year videos made using artificial intelligence caused a stir in Venezuela. Many Venezuelans would have thought they were real news reports but a Spanish newspaper exposed them as deepfakes and linked them to a pro-government agenda. The journalist who exposed the fakes was immediately targeted and the Venezuelan government went into damage control, responding on Twitter with the hashtag #SomosInteligenciaSocial – 'We Are Social Intelligence', seemingly to drown out criticism. But what does the hashtag mean, and how does it fit into the country’s wider theme of quashing dissent? Carl Miller delves into the murky world of the Venezuelan state’s propaganda tactics online.
Presenter: Carl Miller - co-founder of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at Demos and author of The Death of the Gods
Producer: Reha Kansara and Rachelle Krygier
Editor: Flora Carmichael
20/05/2023
22:37
Who’s trolling successful Asian women?
Jiayang Fan was targeted by trolls while her mother was dying, and again when they learned of her death.
The New Yorker writer is one of several high profile journalists who’ve been systematically targeted with online abuse.
The victims are all women of Chinese descent, now living in the West.
And according to one group of researchers, the perpetrators are mostly bots, and may be the creation of a powerful political force.
Experts believe the campaign could be part of a broader push by the Chinese Communist Party to silence dissent overseas, but what evidence is there that the government is responsible? And why are women being singled out as targets?
We hear from Jiayang Fan herself, and the Australian think tank that highlighted the trend.
Reporter / Producer: Sam Judah
Editor: Flora Carmichael
13/05/2023
19:09
Trolled by a life coaching cult
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
06/05/2023
20:12
Ghouling: The trolls targeting bereaved people
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
29/04/2023
19:54
Brazil’s real life trolls
In one of the dirtiest electoral campaigns in Brazil's history, figures on the left and right of the political spectrum trolled their opponents with jokes, ridicule and disinformation rocking the country's young democracy.
We speak to both sides including a Congressman whose series of ambiguous or misleading posts on Twitter got millions of views and an Argentine political consultant whose false claims about voter fraud went viral, playing a key role in the movement that led to widespread national protests.
So how has trolling evolved to become a central feature in Brazil’s political discourse and is there any way back from here? Jonathan Griffin and Juliana Gragnani investigate.
Presenters and producers: Jonathan Griffin and Juliana Gragnani
Editor: Flora Carmichael