When the development of the internet enabled ordinary people to have free, easy access to information, it seemed as though a great breakthrough had been made in empowering people. The subsequent development of social media made it possible for people to share opinions and quickly organise protests against ruling governments. These two technological developments seemed a healthy way forward for democracy. But now social media, which lacks the checks and editing of traditional information sources, enables people to share deliberately false information, which is then accepted as ‘truth’ by many. Opinions are being manipulated via social media by people with their own motivations to discredit rivals or groups with different opinions, and gain power themselves. Social media has become a vehicle for spreading untruths, and has thereby undermined democracy.