Chapter 15: QAnon: The Networks of Misinformation and Conspiracy Theories on Social Media Available to Purchase

Social media have become one of the biggest sources for spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories. QAnon is an example of such networks that has been circulating false information on issues and events such as COVID-19, Black Lives Matter (BLM), the 2020 presidential election, as well as other activist causes such as anti-vaccine and anti-child trafficking movements (Roose, 2020; What Is QAnon, 2020). QAnon followers believe in a set of conspiracy theories “that the world is run by a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles who are plotting against Mr. Trump while operating a global child sex-trafficking ring” (Roose, 2020, para. 7).

Some QAnon followers have been involved in offline actions against others in different parts of the United States. For instance, on January 6, 2021, QAnon followers participated in the Capitol riot, in which 4 people died (Roose, 2021). In 2019, a QAnon follower was accused of killing a Mafia boss and another was arrested for threatening Joe Biden during 2020 election campaigns (Roose, 2020). The FBI has called QAnon a domestic terror threat to the United States (Roose, 2020).