The reputation of the big social networks seems to sink every week. From Facebook to Twitter, from Snapchat to Instagram, concerns about everything from fake news to cyber-bullying are making many people wonder whether there is a better way to communicate online.

On this week's Tech Tent, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales tells us why he thinks he has the answer. He has launched a new social network WT.Social, which is ad-free and promises high-quality content.

Invitation only

Read full article Tech Tent: Who needs another social network?

Image caption The ads 'cast a negative light' on Labour's pledge to nationalise utilities

An energy industry lobby group has been buying adverts on Facebook attacking Labour's nationalisation policies ahead of the general election.

The Energy Networks Association has so far spent £3,215 on 130 ads on the social media site.

Read full article Election ads: Energy group attacks Labour nationalisation plans

Two weeks into our election-ads project, the messages keep pouring in.

We have seen adverts for all the main parties but what has been striking over recent days is the number of people who have sent us ads from obscure organisations.

Read full article The obscure groups buying up Facebook election ads

Eben Upton — Image caption The Lovie awards honour European computer industry pioneers

It was a scheme with limited ambitions - getting more young people with coding skills to apply for a university course.

But seven years after its launch, Raspberry Pi has become one of the most successful computers in history. On this week's Tech Tent, we talk to the project's founder about where it came from and what is next.

Small start

Read full article Tech Tent: Talking to Mr Raspberry Pi

Last weekend, BBC News economics editor Faisal Islam and I launched a project to try to get beneath the digital skin of this election.

We each tweeted a video asking anyone who saw a political advert in their Facebook feed to send it to us, along with the "Why am I seeing this ad?" information that pops up when you click on a menu.

Read full article Online election ads - who is targeting whom?

She's the data tsar most feared by the US tech giants - and on this week's Tech Tent, Helen Dixon tells us she is prepared to exercise her considerable powers.

Ireland is a small country so you might think its data protection commissioner could be safely ignored by giant Californian corporations - after all Facebook's annual revenues now amount to almost as much as the Irish government spends each year.

Read full article Tech Tent - Ireland’s data supremo

Facebook has removed an advert from a tax campaign group for breaking its rules on political advertising.

The Fair Tax Campaign, run by a former Boris Johnson aide, has been running an ad with the message "could you afford an extra £214 each month?"

Read full article Facebook bans political ad posted by ex-Downing Street aide

This week Twitter's Jack Dorsey made the power of social media firms to swing elections a hot topic again, with a promise to banish all political ads from his platform.

On Tech Tent we explore whether Facebook will now be forced to follow suit.

Read full article Tech Tent: Twitter bans political adverts

Old man surprised by phone — Image caption The scammers often prey on older people unfamiliar with technology

It's a common experience. The phone rings at home, and somebody claiming to be from Microsoft tells you there is something wrong with your computer and they can fix it.

But usually this is a scam called computer software service fraud - and on this week's Tech Tent we go behind the scenes of an international operation to shut down the call centres behind it.

Read full article Tech Tent: Shutting down the software scammers

Family sitting around the dinner table on their phones — Image caption Are we spending too much time on our phones? And should we let guests know if we have smart speakers?

Should you inform visitors to your home that smart speakers could pick up what they say? And when it comes to staring at Twitter on your phone, how much is too much?

Gadget etiquette is something we are all grappling with, and on this week's Tech Tent we hear from two people who have played a big role in shaping the way we interact with technology.

Read full article Tech Tent: Do we need gadget etiquette lessons