The value of a person or information is now measured by the number of ‘likes’ it gets on social networks. Beggar’s Honey reflects how we search for the honey of digital celebrity and reveals behind the scenes of click farms. These clandestine companies aim to artificially inflate content engagement indicators on social media by manipulating algorithms. Going undercover in factories in Vietnam and Hong Kong, Jack Latham photographs the insides of click farms for the first time. The project also shows images posted by people on TikTok and Instagram who have used the services of this illegal marketplace. Latham warns of the dangers of this on democracy and encourages us to question the validity of content with the most ‘likes’.

A production by Images Vevey presented in its world premiere as part of the Mention Reportage by Grand Prix Images Vevey 2019/2020

The Beggar’s Honey project is co-published by Here Press and Éditions Images Vevey in 2023.