THREAD: How big is QAnon on Instagram? There's been so much focus on its presenece on Facebook and Twitter, but Instagram's also a platform where QAnon thrives.
The top 20 QAnon-themed Instagram accounts have generated 35 million engagements and 78 million video views this year
The top 20 QAnon-themed Instagram accounts have generated 35 million engagements and 78 million video views this year
Let's look at a few of them based on @crowdtangle data. This is the biggest account I've been able to find in terms of overall engagements (likes and comments) so far. With 232,000 followers, it has had 6.5 million engagements and 10.6 million video views in total in 2020
This is the second biggest account. "Fake news destroyer," as it brands itself. It has 64,000 followers, more than 4.5 million interactions in 2020, and just over 15 million video views. It's also got an official store where they sell QAnon-themed merchandise
Here's the third. This account is not into videos and mostly focuses on text posts alongside screenshots from the internet. It has 80,000 followers and has got 4 million engagements this year. Its video views are neglibile though, standing at just 29,000
This is the 4th biggest and one of the most prominent that produces loads of content. It has 146,000 followers and also a YouTube channel with 53,000 subscribers. Over 3.8 million engagements and 10.5 million video views so far this year
Number five on my list has 61,000 followers. So far this year, it's generated over 3 million engagements and 2.5 million video views
Number six identifies as a young latino woman and has 123,000 followers. Her account has generated 2.5 million comments and likes, and 15.4 million video views so far this year
Number 7 is one of the most prominent QAnon influencers and needs no introduction. It's none other than Liz Crokin. I haven't blurred out her details because she's quite well-known already. She has 284,000 followers, and over 2.1 million engagements, plus 5.3 million video views
This is account number 8 on my list. It has 227,000 followers. So far this year, it's generated 1.9 million likes and comments and 4.1 million video views
This is account number 9. It has 39,000 followers and also a QAnon-themed merchandise store. It's generated 1.2 million engagements and 3.5 million video views this year
Number 10 is another well-known QAnon influencer, it's Joe M. His videos have become so popular within the movement, racking up millions of views. Joe M has 155,000 followers. He's generated 953,000 interactions on his account this year, and 361,000 video views
These 20 accounts have 1.8 million followers in total and have posted more than 24,000 times so far this year. I'm building a database of QAnon on several platforms, including on Instagram. Bear in mind this is just a snapshot. There are many more QAnon accounts on Instagram
Not all the accounts in the top 20 list I've put together post in English. There's one from Brazil and one that primarily posts in Spanish. This shows how rapidly QAnon is expanding globally. If there are any big QAnon accounts I've missed please let me know via DM
For a long time, Dylan Wheeler aka "educating liberals" was the biggest QAnon account on my list. But Wheeler has recently distanced himself from the movement, so I dropped him. With 15 million interactions and 18 million video views this year, he'd have come first by some margin
I recently did a similar analysis for some of the biggest QAnon-themed public groups on Facebook, which you can find in this thread. Watch this space for more data on the size of QAnon in the online world soon
