The FBI has labelled the Qanon movement a potential domestic terror threat.

The World Health Organization has called the infodemic movement a public health crises.

Twitter has taken action before against dangerous Conspiracy Theorist Alex Jones.  The QAnon movement is no different.  In fact, I would argue it is worse.

WHAT IS QANON?

QAnon is a far right conspiracy theory whose followers push a plethora of false, baseless, unsubstantiated misinformation and often slanderous content that is primarily spread through social media, though more and more this once "online only" conspiracy that started on bulletin boards such as 4Chan in 2017 is bleeding over into the real world with real world consequences.  Heard of Pizzagate?  Well that’s been absorbed into the QAnon movement and everyday this dangerous, far-right movement gains more and more steam online.  It preys on many individuals who are vulnerable, lonely, mentally unwell and/or yearning for a sense of belonging or a community. It brings others together who genuinely believe that there is a "Deep State" trying to undermine the Trump administration.  It also gives voice to others who want to blame someone or something for their problems in life. Regardless of QAnon’s followers motives for joining, the fact remains it is a dangerous, unfounded conspiracy theory that needs to be dealt with.

Some examples of QAnon content are:

- Every mass shooting in the US is a “false flag” attack organized by the cabal  

- Former Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz hired Salvadoran gang MS-13 to murder DNC staffer Seth Rich

- Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, George Soros and many other high prominent public figures are members of an international child sex trafficking ring

- An ever growing list of Hollywood celebrities are pedophiles and/or involved in this trafficking ring with some of them having dungeons or tunnels beneath their homes

- The Rothschild family are the leaders of a satanic cult

- COVID-19 doesn’t exist and it’s being used to control the masses and strip people of their rights and freedoms...and so on.

How Do QAnon Followers Arrive at Their Conclusions?

Believers claim that their "Q" is so knowledgeable because he purports to have Q-level top security clearance within the US government. QAnon supporters have likened the initial posts, and subsequent ones, to Hansel and Gretel-like breadcrumbs, or "drops," as they call them now.  Here is one example of what a Q-Drop or Q-Crumb code looks like:

                      AB-aKd&Egh281Q

Followers then decipher the hidden meaning, connect a few loose dots, and arrive at a conclusion.  This deciphering and dot-connecting is all the proof they need to claim their findings as FACT, TRUTH and EVIDENCE of some grand plan, hidden agenda and unfounded conspiracy.  According to researcher Mark Burnett, these string of characters are nothing more than randomized gibberish.  That pretty much sums up the QAnon movement in a nutshell.

WE NEED TO ACT

QAnon believers are even making headway in American politics, which is an especially disturbing development.  I believe in free speech, but not the willful spreading of hate speech, slander and misinformation that has, and will continue to, lead to violent incitement and real life consequences.  

If you agree that social media giants like Twitter have a role to play in removing this harmful content, or at least do the bare minimum of permanently shadow banning Qanon related hashtags, please sign this petition and share it, share it again the next day and again the day after that. Together we CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE and better our world. 

After you sign YOU can help blow this up by sharing OFTEN across MULTIPLE social media platforms. AIM HIGH and be part of creating a SAFER ONLINE ENVIRONMENT!  

THANK YOU

Disclaimer: Twitter has taken a few steps to limit the spread of QAnon content, which is a step in the right direction, but it is simply inadequate. Until further steps are taken such as (A) Qanon hashtags being banned or becoming unsearchable, (B) a separate category being created to report QAnon content and (C) removing a larger number of accounts that promote QAnon content, this petition will remain active.