The Latest Breaking News from David Schmid

Florence Pugh and Busy Philipps are among the stars who’ve publicly criticised the rise in accounts posting unverified and often invasive stories about famous people – from claims about their behaviour to where they get their coffee. Has it all gone too far, asks Olivia Petter

LONDON: The tragic case of a British woman’s disappearance and death has shone a disturbing light on the rise of so-called online sleuths and amateur detectives who believe they can do the police’s job.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — One day in 2007, I found myself in the basement of the Contra Costa County Superior Courthouse in Martinez, staring at a partial bloody footprint on the lid of a plastic bin. The footprint looked markedly similar to the tread on the bottom of the teenage…