BBC Trending

When Azerbaijani journalist Arzu Geybulla started to receive abusive messages online, she quickly became suspicious. She had received offensive messages before. But this time was different. She was being flooded with them. So she decided to dig further. Her investigation brought her into the murky world of state-sponsored trolling. Around the world, more governments are getting involved in harassment campaigns against journalists, activists and citizens. According to the Oxford Internet Institute, 47 countries conducted state-sponsored trolling campaigns in 2019. That’s up from 27 the year before. Governments are using trolls and campaigns of abuse to silence critics, to sow discord and hold onto power. We meet the targets of government trolling campaigns and the researchers trying to combat them. What can we do about state-sponsored trolling? Presenter: Mike Wendling Reporter: Ant Adeane (Photo: Person in the shadows on a computer. Credit: Getty Images)

Ingebjørg spends hours every day on Instagram, but she’s not posting selfies. She’s trying to save lives. This softly-spoken 22-year-old has made it her mission to keep an eye on hundreds of desperate young women and girls who post their self-harm pictures and suicidal thoughts on secret accounts that only trusted followers can see. Many of those involved have eating disorders, depression or other mental health problems. They don’t trust healthcare workers or doctors. But they do trust Ingebjørg. She can see what they post and she routinely calls the police when she thinks somebody is in danger. It’s earned her the nickname “The Lifeguard”. Ingebjørg doesn’t work for Instagram. Saving lives isn’t her job, she has no formal training and nobody pays her for what she does. So should the Facebook-owned social network take more responsibility for helping its users? And what would happen if Ingebjørg wasn’t there? If you are affected by the issues discussed you can find information about support organisations on the Befrienders Worldwide website https://www.befrienders.org/ Presenter: Catrin Nye Producer: Ed Main Editor: Mike Wendling (Photo Caption: Ingebjørg in her home city of Bergen, Norway / Photo credit: BBC)

Andrine was 17 years old when she killed herself in March 2017. For two years her mother left Andrine’s phone untouched in a cardboard box by her front door. But when a journalist from the Norwegian broadcaster NRK approached her Andrine’s mother plucked up the courage to take a look. The information from Andrine’s phone uncovered a secretive international network of young women and girls who share pictures of self-harm, thoughts about killing themselves and even their suicidal attempts. Many of those in the network have eating disorders, depression or other mental health problems. They don’t trust healthcare workers or doctors, and they communicate using private Instagram accounts. The investigation by NRK has identified at least 15 young women and girls in the network who have taken their own lives in the last three years. So what responsibility does social media – and Instagram in particular - bear for the deaths? If you are affected by the issues in this programme you can find information about support organisations on the Befrienders Worldwide website. https://www.befrienders.org/ Presenter: Catrin Nye Producer: Ed Main (Photo: A close-up of Andrine pinned on a noticeboard. Credit: BBC)

The Brazilian Butt Lift or as it’s more commonly known, the BBL, is one of the most dangerous cosmetic procedures in the world but that hasn’t stopped it becoming one of the most requested. Posts on this type of cosmetic surgery are all over social media which show before and after photos to portray this popular body type. It’s influenced one woman to think about having a BBL. But before she makes a decision, she speaks to social media influencers, her close friends and medical professionals who help guide her through her choice. Are the deadly risks involved in this type of cosmetic surgery worth taking for a big bottom? Originally broadcast 10/5/19 Presenter: Anisa Subedar Reporter: Lola Mosanya Picture: Credit: BBC

"Go home!" That's what some tourists are being told when they visit the Athens district of Exarchia. It’s been described as an "anarchist enclave", a place where riot police regularly clash with local activists. But it’s also a rapidly gentrifying area where Instagramable coffee shops are adorned with colourful, anti-establishment graffiti. Its central location and cheap property prices mean that Exarchia has in recent years attracted increasing numbers of tourists. This in turn has stoked resentment among some activists, who say the pressures of tourism have driven rents up and pushed long-established residents out of their homes. Radical left-wing groups have called for direct action to stop this trend. They hang banners telling tourists they are "targets", vandalise flats rented out via Airbnb, and post videos of their comrades shouting at visitors to leave. But others in the neighbourhood argue tourism is giving Greece the means to recover from a devastating economic crisis and years of financial austerity. BBC Trending travels to the beating heart of Exarchia to meet residents, activists and tourists. What happens when Instagram hipsters clash with local activists? Presenter: Mike Wendling Reporter: Jessica Bateman Producer: Marco Silva (Photo Caption: Activists stencil a slogan reading "Flats for immigrants not for Airbnb" on a wall in central Athens / Photo Credit: Getty Images)