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Conspiracy theories meet real news: How QAnon tries to hijack the Internet

Phys · · 727 words · By Catherine Couturier
Academic Research on Disinformation Social Media Algorithms Online Extremism
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What to know about Academic Research on Disinformation

The article discusses research conducted by Francesco Campisi and Francis Fortin regarding QAnon's use of 'hashtag hijacking' on X (formerly Twitter). The study found that while the group frequently used unrelated popular hashtags to gain visibility, this tactic had a negligible effect on actual user engagement.

Propaganda risk 20%
Claims checked 11
Techniques found 2
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Conspiracy theories meet real news: How QAnon tries to hijack the Internet Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Alexander Pol Deputy Editor "When people think of extremists, they tend to think of neo-Nazis," said Francesco Campisi, a lecturer at Université de…

Why it matters

"But there are many other fringe groups that may not be violent yet can give rise to extremism." For his doctoral dissertation, Campisi examined the online presence of far-right groups, including QAnon, a conspiracy-theory mill that emerged in the United…

Common ground

"It's an unusual group that's hard to define, but it was probably a precursor to what we are seeing under Trump," said Francis Fortin, a professor in UdeM's School of Criminology.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

The article discusses research conducted by Francesco Campisi and Francis Fortin regarding QAnon's use of 'hashtag hijacking' on X (formerly Twitter). The study found that while the group frequently used unrelated popular hashtags to gain visibility, this tactic had a negligible effect on actual user engagement.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-conspiracy-theories-real-news-qanon.html

analyticsAnalysis

20%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Name Calling / Labeling 70% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 6
check_circle Corroborated 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule Pending 1
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Claim 1: “QAnon, a conspiracy-theory mill that emerged in the United States in the late 2010s and gained prominence during the Capitol Hill riot on January 6, 2021”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm QAnon's nature as a conspiracy theory and its association/prominence surrounding the January 6 Capitol events.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — That's the basic story, but there are so many offshoots, detours and internal debates that the total list of QAnon claims is enormous - and often contradictory. Adherents draw in news events, historic…
https://www.bbc.com/news/53498434
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was perhaps the most widely documented act of political violence in history. The New York Times obtained, analyzed and ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWJVMoe7OY0
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In the aftermath of the Capitol Hill riots, these words are haunting. The January 6 riots resulted in five deaths and despicably publicized the symbols of the far-right.
https://www.american.edu/sis/centers/security-technology/dec…
help
Claim 2: “since Elon Musk acquired Twitter, extremist content has skyrocketed.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
info
Claim 3: “The researchers analyzed more than 400,000 tweets posted between 2020 and 2021 that contained keywords associated with QAnon or mentioned an account linked to the group.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results discuss an Italian restaurant chain (Campisi's) and an obituary for Bernard Campisi, which are irrelevant to the academic research claim.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Campisi's Restaurant is an Italian-American restaurant chain based in Dallas, Texas, [1] offering a self-described Roman cuisine focusing on pizza and pasta. As of 2023, the chain has nine locations t…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campisi's_Egyptian_Restauran…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Campisi’s Food Truck brings the same family-made recipes, real ingredients, and straight-from-the-oven flavor you know from our restaurant, now served at pop-ups, local events, and private caterin…
https://www.campisis.us/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Sep 28, 2024 · Bernard Campisi Obituary October 28, 1929 - September 3, 2024 Bernard Campisi, affectionately known as Ben, peacefully passed away at his Westwood home on September 3, 2024, at the age …
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/latimes/name/bernard-ca…
help
Claim 4: “Campisi has turned his attention to this question in postdoctoral research he's now doing at Simon Fraser University.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
schedule
Claim 5: “Francesco C. Campisi et al, QAnon's hashtag hijacking strategies and engagement dynamics across discursive themes on Twitter: Negative Binomial models of online visibility, Technology in Society (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2026.103296”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 6: “Twitter deleted a number of accounts linked to the January 6 insurrection”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results provide general information about X/Twitter but do not specifically confirm the deletion of accounts linked to the January 6 insurrection.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — X, formerly known as Twitter, [b] is an American microblogging and social networking service, headquartered in Bastrop, Texas. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the mo…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_(social_network)
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Twitter, Inc. ... Twitter, Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network of the same name prior to it…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter,_Inc.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — From breaking news and entertainment to sports and politics, get the full story with all the live commentary. Available on the App Store and Google Play.
https://x.com/
info
Claim 7: “Francesco Campisi, a lecturer at Université de Montréal's School of Criminology”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided web search results are completely irrelevant, discussing Windows 10 activation keys rather than Francesco Campisi or the Université de Montréal.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jul 2, 2021 · Hi! I am seeing on Settings\Activation the following message on my Windows 10 Pro 2004: The last product key (ID:xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-AAOEM) you entered can't be used on this copy of Window…
https://www.tenforums.com/windows-updates-activation/181971-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Sep 28, 2023 · Can I reinstall the Free Windows 10 on my computer after upgrading? If you have upgraded to Windows 10 with the free upgrade offer on an activated Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 PC, you will …
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5705-activate-windows-10…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Aug 7, 2020 · How to Check if Windows 10 is Activated Activation helps verify that Windows on your PC is genuine. If you upgraded to the free offer of Windows 10 on a PC, then you will be able to do a…
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/20779-check-activation-w…
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Claim 8: “#WWG1WGA, short for QAnon's slogan "Where We Go One, We Go All"”
CORROBORATED
Three independent sources explicitly confirm that #WWG1WGA stands for 'Where We Go One, We Go All' and is a QAnon slogan.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The tweet included a video of a woman praising Trump's approach to urban poverty and included the hashtag #WWG1WGA, which stands for the QAnon slogan "Where we go one, we go all."
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-retweeted-qanon-hashta…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — "Where we go one we go all", often abbreviated as "WWG1WGA!" is one of the most popular QAnon slogans. Nobody actually believes it, right? Actually, thousands do.
https://www.bbc.com/news/53498434
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — QAnon believers commonly tag their social media posts with the hashtag #WWG1WGA, signifying the motto “Where We Go One, We Go All”. Newspapers.com 2 February 1996, Los Angeles (CA) Times, “Coming of A…
https://barrypopik.com/blog/where_we_go_one_we_go_all
info
Claim 9: “Campisi and Fortin examined one specific online strategy used by QAnon: the hijacking of hashtags on X (formerly Twitter). The results of their analysis were recently published in the journal Technology in Society.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results provided are about car loans from Lloyds Bank and are completely irrelevant to the claim regarding a study in the journal Technology in Society.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Explore guides and tips from Lloyds, covering a range of car finance topics. Wherever you are on your car buying journey, we could help.
https://www.lloydsbank.com/car-finance/help-and-guidance.htm…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Lloyds Bank offers car loans for vehicles. We'll help you understand interest rates and to find out how our Car loan can best suit your needs.
https://www.lloydsbank.com/loans/car-loan.html
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — -Payments fixed for the life of your loan. -Manage your loan along with your finances in Internet Banking. -Your loan repayments are taken monthly by Direct Debit from your Lloyds TSB current account.…
https://bankinfouk.com/products/view/46/Car_Loan
info
Claim 10: “Francis Fortin, a professor in UdeM's School of Criminology”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results provided are about Pope Francis and are entirely irrelevant to a professor named Francis Fortin at UdeM.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Throughout his papacy, Francis was noted for his humility, emphasis on God's mercy, international visibility, commitment to inte…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francis
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Mar 13, 2013 · Francis was the pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, from March 13, 2013, to April 21, 2025. The first pope from the Western Hemisphere, the first from South America, and the …
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francis-I-pope
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 22, 2025 · Pope Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, was the first pope of the Roman Catholic Church from Latin America. Read about his education, priesthood, death, and more.
https://www.biography.com/religious-figures/pope-francis
info
Claim 11: “While hijacked hashtags were used in a large percentage of the posts analyzed, their effect on engagement was negligible.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results discuss female ejaculation, TikTok repost removers, and hashtag generators, none of which relate to the findings of the Campisi and Fortin study.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Looking for a TikTok repost remover? Learn how to remove all reposts on TikTok at once with our free online website, extension, and mobile guide.
https://repostremover.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Addiego F, Belzer EG, Comolli J, et al. Female ejaculation: a case study.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0022449810955109…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Find the best Instagram & TikTok hashtags in 2025 to boost likes, reach & engagement.Increase viewership. Become more visible. Become part of a trending conversation. Build social followers. Grow your…
https://best-hashtags.com/
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.