The core of QAnon is the false theory that Trump was elected to root out a secret child-sex trafficking ring run bySatanic, cannibalistic Democratic politicians and celebrities. Although it may sound absurd, it has nonetheless attracted devoted followers who have begun to perpetuate other theories that they suggest, imply or argue are somehow related to the main premise.
While many QAnon theories and contentremain onfringe platforms like far-right message board 8kun, some have madetheir way into mainstream social media services like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. On those platforms, the bogus or misleading material isgaining traction among people who have no idea they're dabbling in QAnon.
While the major tech platforms have said they're cracking down on certain QAnon content, much of itcontinues to circulate.
This conspiracy theory was a precursor to QAnon, but it has recently regained momentum and become intertwined with QAnon.
A common claim among QAnon conspiracists is that a shadowy network of politicians and bureaucrats secretly collaborate to control the government behind the scenes.
While this claim takes many forms, it generally centers on the suggestion that a cabal of powerful elites is manipulatingthe world.
In general, the suggestion that there are secret signals, like clandestine acronyms and jumbled grammar, that can be decoded to reveal the truth about global mysteries bears the hallmarks of the QAnon community, experts say.
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