conspiracy theories
Social Media Intelligence to Combat Extremist and Terrorist Support: Can an Orthodox Focus on Unlawful Groups Survive in the Era of QAnon, Anti-vax Conspiracy Belief, and Stop the Steal?
December 3, 2024It has become a familiar observation that social media usage can afford material assistance to the advancement of violent extremist or terrorist causes and can be a tool for counter-extremism and counter-terrorism efforts. This chapter discusses how several core supporting pillars of extremism mesh with social media in apparently similar ways to non-extremist activity and ...
Some online conspiracy-spreaders don’t even believe the lies they’re spewing
October 24, 2024VOX-Pol Blog post. ...
Extremism, the extreme right, and conspiracy myths on social media
October 20, 2024In this chapter, we explore the communication modes and tactics used by extremists across the ideological spectrum to spread their narratives on social media. We argue that a growing body of evidence suggests that extremist movements across the political spectrum make use of similar communication modes and tactics on social media to reach their objectives. ...
“You Took That From Me”: Conspiracism and Online Harassment in the Alt-Fandom of The Last of Us Part II
September 16, 2024The reception to 2020’s The Last of Us Part II was a maelstrom of misleading marketing, unprecedented leaks, and a vicious fallout characterized by prejudiced online harassment and sprawling conspiracies. Through an in-depth analysis of Part II‘s reception, this article seeks to apprehend the increasing frequency of such controversies in popular culture as a distinct transformation of online ...
From fan citizenship to ‘fanspiracies’: Politics and participatory cultures in times of crisis?
September 14, 2024Fan practices and behaviours have increasingly moved beyond fan communities into the political, economic and cultural structures of every day life. The proliferation of social media platforms has allowed both the progressive and reactionary aspects of fandom to converge in the public sphere, drawing on similar techniques, pleasures, and practices in order to interpret the ...
Hamas Telegram in the Immediate Wake of Their 7 October Terrorist Attack(s): Part 2 – Propaganda content
August 12, 2024VOX-Pol Blog Post. ...
Hamas Telegram in the Immediate Wake of Their 7 October Terrorist Attack(s): Part 1 – Activity Levels
August 12, 2024VOX-Pol Blog Post. ...
Mothers And Militants: The Reproductive Politics of The Extreme-Right
August 12, 2024VOX-Pol Blog Post. ...
Incel Culture: What We’ve Learned From Investigating Plymouth Attacker’s Digital Footprint
August 9, 2024VOX-Pol Blog Post. ...
Examining Online Indicators of Extremism in Violent Right-Wing Extremist Forums
August 9, 2024VOX-Pol Blog Post. ...