The explosion of armchair virologists during the coronavirus pandemic has once again put the spotlight back on the social media giants. Half truths, outright lies and disingenuous comparisons sweeping through social media platforms are fuelling fear and panic. And it’s big business. The threat of fake news was outlined again this week with the latest
It used to be the case that tabloid stings struck the fear of God into politicians and celebrities. Now social media is claiming the scalps of public figures on an almost weekly basis. Quite simply, life is on the record 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you want to enter public life
Fake news has been around for decades. But it was normally the preserve of despotic regimes. Now it’s threatening to undermine democracies across the world. The rise of the internet means that, in the words of Mark Twain, ‘a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes’. You
