According to researchers, Russian government-backed actors have played a role in amplifying conspiracy theories created and promoted by the prominent US-based group QAnon. This has raised significant concerns over foreign interference in the US elections, which will occur in November. Researchers state that Russia likely did not have involvement in the conspiracy group within the early days of the movement in 2017, however, they have since increasingly taken interest in the group.
In 2019, Twitter removed accounts violating policies that were being controlled by Russia’s Internet Research Agency. These tweets contained a high volume of #QAnon tags, as well as the movement slogan #WWG1WGA. Recently, the Russian government news outlets RT.com and Sputnik have increased their coverage of QAnon conspiracies, including those promoted by the organization that claims US political and Hollywood elites are involved in a child trafficking ring.
Read More: Russian-backed organizations amplifying QAnon conspiracy theories, researchers say
