London-based SA entrepreneur Ludré Stevens takes on “broken” social media with bot-free platform Opino

A troubling trend for democracy and social discourse is the increasing manipulation of social media platforms like X, where AI-driven algorithms deepen ideological silos and limit engagement with opposing viewpoints. The anonymity of pseudonyms has further enabled nano influencers - often quietly funded - to shape narratives without disclosing their financial backers. In South Africa, recent revelations have exposed multiple political campaigns leveraging paid influencer networks to manufacture public sentiment online. In response, Ludré Stevens is launching Opino, a social media platform positioning itself as Europe’s independent, bot-free space. In an interview with BizNews Stevens described Opino - set to launch publicly on 1 June - as a platform with “absolutely no bots, complete transparency, where real people and real companies can interact.” The app will require influencers who receive payment to declare it, ensuring authenticity and preventing covert sponsorships. Stevens emphasised that while Opino shares similarities with platforms like Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky, its defining principles are “no bots, no AI, and no manufactured outrage - just back to basics.”