It was the kind of question that could have been plucked from a dinner table conversation, a medical waiting room, or a late-night scroll through a social media feed. When you type a symptom into a search engine or pause on a video about skincare, weight loss, or mental health, who are you more likely to trust: the quiet dermatologist who writes scientific papers, or the charismatic lifestyle creator with a glowing smile and a million followers? This tension between credentialed expertise and digital charisma was placed squarely in the spotlight at the Arab Social Media Pioneers Summit, during a…

It starts with the best of intentions. You hear the midterms are coming. You want to make sure your voice counts. So when a slick, friendly website called VoteSafe.org appears in your social media feed—offering to check your voter registration, request an absentee ballot, or send you handy election reminders—it feels like a no-brainer. The name alone radiates civic responsibility, like a public service announcement from a grade-school teacher or a nonpartisan league of concerned citizens. But VoteSafe is not what it pretends to be. It is not run by a government agency, a voting rights organization, or even a…