From the Fringe to the Fore: An Algorithmic Ethnography of the Far-Right Conspiracy Theory Group QAnon

Abstract

In this article, I examine the convergence of the socio-technological processes that enabled members of far-right conspiracy theory QAnon to expand beyond the “echo chambers” of the online fringe and incorporate themselves into mainstream discourse. Drawing on interdisciplinary research methods to focus on how technology is used in practice, I analyze QAnon’s online life through the concepts of algorithms, user experiences, and routines. I argue that QAnon followers’ deliberate manipulation of and incidental capitalization on algorithms gives QAnon’s content momentum that spreads information across communities; that the affordances of the user experiences of different platforms allow QAnons to curate a variety of strategies for growing their ideas and audience; and that the integration of QAnon participation into personal routines helps move the theory offline. Ultimately, a ground-up approach to digital socialization adds complexity to the analysis of echo chambers and algorithmic power.

An integrative review on online ethnography methods: differentiating theoretical bases, potentialities and limitations

“…His data, then, came from participant observation, interviews, field notes, focus groups and archived research using text analysis for data interpretation. Recently, Forberg (2021) used a combination of virtual ethnography with qualitative interviews and quantitative content analysis to understand the individuals participating in the QAnon forum, engaged in misogynistic, racist, or otherwise bigoted trolling and discussion. The purpose of this methodological combination is to bring the concepts of platform, algorithms and users closer to the traditional research procedures of ethnography.…”

“We Are in Control”: Instagram Influencers and the Proliferation of Conspiracy Narratives in Digital Spaces

“…The originally apolitical design of third spaces of spiritual communities on Instagram enables the mainstreaming of many of the conspiracy narratives discussed in them. Conspiracy narratives tend to thrive in fringe digital spaces (Forberg, 2021;Zeng, Schäfer, 2021), where the mainstream digital public only rarely has access. Instagram influencer profiles, on the other hand, are open and low threshold.…”

“…Nevertheless, we have yet to gather sufficient empirical evidence to ascertain any causal connection. Various studies have addressed the roles of content virality, memetic culture and user-generated-content in the online creation and proliferation of conspiracy theories (Cotter, DeCook, Kanthawala, 2022;Forberg, 2021;Marwick, Partin, 2022;McNeil-Willson, 2022;Zeng, Schäfer, 2021). Marwick and Lewis (2017) identify several practices, such as "trolling" and "shitposting", which are embedded in the specific cultural environment and participatory culture of fringe platforms and communities (e.g., 4chan).…”

The MeLa BitChute Dataset

“…For example, despite moderation action by the mainstream platforms to suppress electionrelated misinformation in the aftermath of the January 6 attack, such conspiracies have flourished in BitChute 5 . The QAnon constellation of conspiracy theories is similarly popular on BitChute (Trujillo et al 2020), as early research is already examining QAnon's use of the platform for sharing its increasingly popular messages (Forberg 2021). The MeLa-BitChute dataset is valuable in this space, as much of the content contained therein would be removed or suppressed on other platforms, and the alt-tech spaces available are primarily text-oriented.…”