Main content

Why is QAnon going global?

Support for the outlandish conspiracy theory is increasing outside the United States.

This week President Donald Trump retweeted a false claim posted by a follower of the ‘QAnon’ conspiracy theory, stating that the real Covid-19 death toll is just 6 percent of official figures. Twitter took down the tweet saying it breached their terms and conditions. It’s not the first time the president has promoted messages from supporters of the debunked conspiracy theory that claims - in part - that Mr Trump is leading a top-secret campaign to dismantle a global network of Satan worshipping cannibal paedophiles led by billionaires, celebrities and Democrats. Acts of violence have already been attributed to those backing the outlandish conspiracy theory and the FBI now considers the movement a domestic terrorism threat. While support for ‘Q’ - said to be an anonymous security official with inside knowledge - has been growing in the United States, followers are increasingly showing up in Europe and Latin America. So why has it spread to other countries and what are the QAnon links to foreign groups? Could supporters disrupt politics outside of the US? And is QAnon a harmless online fantasy or a dangerous threat to truth, democracy and public safety around the world? Ritula Shah is joined by a panel of experts.

Available now

53 minutes

Last on

Sat 5 Sep 2020 03:06GMT

Contributors

Travis View - Co-host of the podcastÌý'QAnon Anonymous'

Aoife Gallagher - Analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and co-author of a report on QAnon

Professor Kevin Grisham - Associate Director at the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino

Karen Douglas - Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Kent in England

Ìý

Also featuring ...

Ed Stetzer - The Billy Graham Chair of Church, Mission and Evangelism at Wheaton College, Illinois

Ìý

Ìý

Photo

A QAnon sign seen at a rally in Beverly Hills, California, USA onÌý22ÌýAugustÌý2020

Broadcasts

  • Fri 4 Sep 2020 09:06GMT
  • Fri 4 Sep 2020 23:06GMT
  • Sat 5 Sep 2020 03:06GMT

The Real Story Podcast

Subscribe via your favourite podcast app...

Podcast