Over the past few weeks, many of the stories being shared locally have had a common thread, concern. Concern about online scams, manipulated images, fake ads, unsafe behaviour, and a growing sense that it’s getting harder to know what, or who, to trust online.
A recent Irish Independent report revealed that social media companies made more than €32 million from scam ads targeting Irish users last year, with the average victim losing over €1,500. Many of these scams impersonate real businesses or use AI-generated images and videos to appear legitimate.
This isn’t happening “somewhere else”. It’s happening here, and it affects ordinary people and genuine local businesses alike.
The problem isn’t technology, it’s trust
Technology itself isn’t the enemy. AI, social media, and online tools can be incredibly useful. The real problem is that scale has replaced scrutiny.
On large platforms:
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Ads are automated, not vetted
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Visibility is often bought, not earned
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Real businesses compete with fake ones
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People are expected to judge credibility on their own
For consumers, that’s exhausting.
For local businesses, it’s unfair.
When people can’t easily tell who’s real, they become cautious and that hurts everyone.
Why local visibility and connection matter now
In this environment, being a good business is no longer enough. People need to be able to verify that you’re real.
That’s where local connection matters:
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Being known in your community
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Being visible alongside other genuine local businesses
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Being easy to find when people are actively searching
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Being part of a trusted local reference point
Trust doesn’t come from clever ads.
It comes from familiarity, consistency, and context.
Communities need shared reference points
One of the challenges we’re facing is that conversations are scattered. Important information gets lost between comment threads, rumours spread faster than facts, and follow-up rarely happens.
What communities need are shared reference points:
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places people can check, not just comment
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information that doesn’t disappear down a feed
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local knowledge that’s organised, not reactive
This isn’t about replacing social media. It’s about complementing it with something more reliable.
A quieter, steadier way forward
At Virginia Pages, the focus has always been simple:
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clarity over noise
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trust over clicks
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connection over controversy
That means supporting local businesses by making them easier to find and verify, and supporting the community by sharing information people can rely on.
As online spaces become more sophisticated and more misleading, local trust becomes more valuable, not less.
The solutions to many of today’s problems won’t come from bigger platforms or louder voices. They’ll come from people knowing each other, supporting local enterprise, and choosing systems that value credibility over attention.
That’s not a dramatic statement.
It’s a practical one.
And it’s something we can build together, quietly and consistently.