BBC Trending

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

Instagram’s search function does not always shield people at risk of eating disorders from seeing potentially harmful posts. A Trending investigation has found that although the site has filters in place to make the most obvious eating disorder-related hashtags unsearchable, misspellings allow people to navigate around the restrictions. And health warnings do not always pop up when users type in search terms that could lead them to some very extreme content. We hear from people who have suffered from eating disorders who describe the kinds of things they have seen on Instagram, and tell us of the challenges of using a social network as part of the recovery process. Instagram acknowledges the complexity of the issue and says it is dedicated to keeping harmful content away from vulnerable users. And as a result of our research, the Facebook-owned company has made some adjustments to try to further protect users. Presenter: Anisa Subedar Reporter: Joanne Whalley (Photo: A photo of a pizza being taken on a smartphone. Credit: Getty Images)

A shadowy website spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on political adverts on Facebook and other networks. But the people behind “Mainstream Network” have managed to remain entirely anonymous. No-one knows who runs the site and its social media accounts, where their money is coming from, or what their motivation is. We investigate their operation - just as Facebook faces tough questions about their role in preserving the integrity of elections around the world. Presenter: Mike Wendling Reporter: Marco Silva (Photo: A montage of Mainstream Network’s website and the site’s logo. Credit: Mainstream Network/BBC)

We investigate the criminals who threaten to expose you on social media, using password hacking. Imagine you open your email and there’s a message in there from someone that knows some of your personal information – like your laptop password. Not only that, but they’re threatening to reveal your darkest secrets on social media, unless you pay a ransom in anonymous cryptocurrency. That’s been happening to people all over the world - including our reporter Jo Whalley. Jo finds out how cyber criminals have got hold of people’s personal information and about the huge sums of money people have been paying to the scammers. Presenter: Mike Wendling Reporter: Jo Whalley Studio Manager: Neil Churchill Photo Caption: Photo illustration of hackers Photo Credit: Getty Images

How a viral rumour on WhatsApp led to the lynching of two innocent men in Mexico. Ricardo Flores and his uncle Alberto were building a well. They set out to buy some supplies, but as it was a warm August day, they decided to take a break along the way. Within hours they were arrested and lynched – beaten and burnt to death by a ferocious mob. Rumours which spread on WhatsApp falsely accused the men of being child kidnappers. And before anyone could stop the residents of Acatlan, a small town in Mexico, a tragedy unfolded – the repercussions of which continue to be felt today. For the Beyond Fake News season on the BBC World Service, Marcos Martinez went to Acatlan to investigate. Presenter: Mike Wendling Reporter: Marcos Martinez Producer: Reha Kansara Studio Manager: Graham Puddifoot Photo Caption: A photo of Ricardo Flores, one of the men who was killed. Photo Credit: BBC