Jump in number of users at fact-checking website Snopes during US election

San Diego

THE LAST line of defence against the torrent of half-truths, untruths and outright fakery that make up so much of the modern Internet is in a downscale strip mall near the beach.

Snopes, the fact-checking website, does not have an office designed to impress, or even be noticed. A big sign outside still bears the name of the previous tenant, a maker of underwater headphones. Inside there's nothing much - a bunch of improvised desks, a table tennis table, cartons of Popchips and cases of Dr Pepper. It looks like a dot-com on the way to nowhere.

Appearances deceive.…