"Anonymous Q": A carnival of conspiracy theorists

Source: Globe Magazine

A man holding a Q plaque representing the "Anonymous Q" far-right conspiracy theory group lined up with others for President Donald Trump's campaign rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Text/Zhou Shaochen

Since the end of August, a series of demonstrations have taken place in many important European cities, including Berlin, London, Paris, Zurich, Madrid and others. In the procession, protesters held up signs such as "The coronavirus is a hoax." The figure of the conspiracy theorist group QAnon flashed from time to time at the scene of these protests.

Anonymous Q influences Europe

A new report by News Guard, an Internet credibility tool, shows that unfounded conspiracy theories from Anonymous Q, which have been circulating in the United States for three years, are now spreading across Europe. In late 2019 and early 2020, many new Anonymous Q websites, pages, groups, and accounts appeared in the UK, France, Italy, and Germany, and quickly amassed a large following. At the same time, older accounts, groups, and pages began to share the theory of "Anonymous Q."

The NewsGuard report found that among the social media groups it analyzed, there were "448,760 followers or members." Supporters of anonymous Q conspiracy theories began to proliferate in late 2019 and early 2020, especially in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and it seems that more and more Europeans are beginning to believe anonymous Q's conspiracy theories.

The report argues that the outbreak of COVID-19 is an important driver of the spread of anonymous Q conspiracy theories in Europe. As the lockdown triggered by the pandemic has left millions of people in home quarantine, the number of Anonymous Q social media groups and pages created increased in April. The report mentions that conspiracy theories have surged with the increase in the number of infected people in the epidemic, and absurd claims such as "5G spread of the new crown" have become popular in many European countries, and some people have even destroyed local mobile communication base stations. Rabe, the European editor-in-chief of NewsGuard, said such a statement was like an "entry drug" for Anonymous Q, providing Europeans with "the perfect way to enter the internet madness."

Although Anonymous Q is rooted in the United States, it has become an amorphous ideology that continues to appropriate and blend conspiracy theories elsewhere that fit with anti-elite claims. The story of "Anonymous Q" in Europe adopts a local narrative and begins to target local politicians and elites.

"French President Emmanuel Macron is a pawn of the Deep State"; German Chancellor Angela Merkel is a "puppet of the deep government"; US President Trump is taking action to "stop the dictatorship of Italian Prime Minister Conte" u2026u2026 Rabe said, "This is an easy to transplant framework u2026u2026 It has an ulterior motive for the world elite, and the world has elites." ”

Against the backdrop of the spread of the pandemic, Anonymous Q's ability to fuse old and new conspiracy theories has allowed it to attract a wide following outside the United States. While the conspiracy theory remains marginalized in the European discourse system, some analysts fear that followers of the Anonymous Q conspiracy theory will band together to enter the mainstream.

"Anonymous Q" in action

On October 28, 2017, a publisher named Q asserted on the famous U.S. anonymous forum 4chan that "extradition" Hillary Clinton "is already in action" and that her arrest is imminent. Although Hillary clinton was not arrested, Q continued to post — more than 4,000 to date. Q describes himself as a government insider who knows the truth about the secret power struggle between Trump and the "deep government" and claims to know about a secret plan led by Trump.

Although Q posted anonymously, he used an anonymous forum authentication method called "itinerary code" that allowed followers to distinguish his posts from those of other anonymous users. In November 2017, Q moved from 4chan to 8chan, fell silent for several months after 8chan closed in August 2019, and finally reappeared on 8kun, a new website set up by 8chan's owners.

Q's posts are all obscure, and they usually consist of a long list of guiding questions designed to guide readers to discover the "truth" for themselves through "research." Like the so-called "Hillary will be arrested," Q keeps making predictions that never come to fruition, but people who believe in Q tend to simply adjust their statements to explain inconsistencies.

A new CNN report summarizes anonymous Q's conspiracy theories into five core ideas: an evil cult is ruling the planet; Donald Trump is an American hero; democratic parties have sinister intentions and the entire party is controlled by foreign anti-American forces; Q's followers are united and growing; patriots are in control, and criminals will eventually be convicted.

How did Anonymous Q go from anonymous posts on 4chan to a full-fledged conspiracy theory organization? This is certainly not accidental. Anonymous web posts that claim access to secret information are fairly common, but when people lose interest or realize they've been scammed, they often fade out of view.

A 2018 survey by NBC News revealed that 3 conspiracy theorists were behind "Anonymous Q" from the start and profited from the group. They developed the organization into the Internet phenomenon it is today characterized by widespread, multi-platform communication. As for who these three people really are, the report does not give an answer. There is now a complete "Anonymous Q" media ecosystem with tons of video content, memes, e-books, chat rooms, and more, all designed to attract potential new members and then pull them into another "real" world made up by Anonymous Q.

From online to offline

The "Anonymous Q" conspiracy theory was originally only active on some anonymous forums, but in recent times, one public event after another has disrupted people's normal life order, and "Anonymous Q" finally found an opportunity to intervene and interpret the connection between the events as "reasonable". As a result, the "Anonymous Q" conspiracy theory has become more and more powerful, and its activities have gradually developed from online to offline, and the impact on European and American society cannot be underestimated.

First, it is not conducive to the victory of European and American countries over the new crown pneumonia epidemic. Conspiracy theories such as Anonymous Q tend to emerge in times of social crisis, such as terrorist attacks, rapid political change, or times of economic crisis. In times of uncertainty, people try to understand the chaotic world with simple logic. Followers of the "Anonymous Q" conspiracy theory claim that the coronavirus was orchestrated by the so-called "deep government" and believe that the virus could be prevented by drinking bleach.

A similar situation occurred during the Zika outbreak in 2015 – conspiracy theorists believed that zika was a biological weapon, not a natural occurrence. An important basis for dealing with public health crises is public trust in the scientific advice of health professionals and organizations, but conspiracy theorists often distrust what they perceive as "powerful groups" and are less likely to heed medical advice. Conspiracy theorists who support Anonymous Q tend to be negative about measures to prevent COVID-19 or use dangerous alternative therapies. This will increase the likelihood of the virus spreading, making the outbreak more difficult to control.

Second, it spreads violence and endangers public safety. Twitter recently banned about 7,000 accounts that spread "Anonymous Q" conspiracy theories and identified them as organized harmful activities. Among the supporters of Anonymous Q, not only are there people harassing other social media users on the Internet, but also people who commit crimes against social security in real life. In the summer of 2018, a Q's followers engaged in an armed standoff with police at the Hoover Dam because a clue from Q never appeared, which frustrated him; a few months later, a blogger who made the "Anonymous Q" video was arrested on suspicion of threatening a massacre on YouTube; in January 2019, a Q believer allegedly murdered his brother with a sword in the name of conspiracy theories; and on the southern border of the United States, some heavily armed groups were led by followers of "Anonymous Q", The men were later arrested on various charges of trespassing and weapons violation; a man accused of murdering a New York gang boss scribbled a "Q" in court and claimed his motive was to believe in the "Anonymous Q" conspiracy theory.

To that end, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has listed Anonymous Q as a "potential target for domestic terrorism." Because the followers of the doctrine increase the risk of terrorism, it can pose a threat to national security. The FBI believes that these conspiracy theories are likely to emerge, spread, and evolve online, prompting group and individual extremists to commit crimes or acts of violence. Despite a series of violent incidents and failed Q prophecies triggered by Anonymous Q, Q's followers still say they don't see any problems, even suggesting that the FBI report is part of a conspiracy against them.

Third, it may affect the US election. As the US election approaches, Republican and Democratic presidential candidates are intensively campaigning, and more and more "Q" signs appear on Trump's campaign site. In mid-August, during a Trump campaign in Minnesota, in addition to the American flag and "Let America Continue to Be Great" posters held by Trump supporters, there were signs and flags with the letters "Q" written on the scene. In the current election cycle, more than 50 alleged supporters of Anonymous Q are competing for national office, such as Marjorie Taylor Green, who has won the primary for Georgia's 14th Congressional District, whom Trump has praised as a "future star of the Republican Party."

A web-based likelihood poll conducted by the Pew Research Center from Feb. 18 to March 2 showed that awareness of "Anonymous Q" was low. More than three-quarters of respondents (76 percent) responded that they had neither read nor heard of the Anonym Q conspiracy theory, including most Republicans (81 percent) and Democrats (71 percent). While the Anonymous Q conspiracy theory sounds ridiculous and fails to convince a majority of voters, under the Electoral College system, it can disrupt the election and affect the outcome.

Speaking at a White House news conference on Aug. 19, Trump said, "I don't know much about this movement (U2018 Anonymous Qu2019), I just know that they like me very much, and I'm grateful for that." As the New York Times analyzed, Anonymous Q may be Trump's "last and best chance" to run for re-election.

(The author is an assistant researcher at the School of International Relations)

Source: Globe Magazine Issue 21, October 14, 2020

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