Marianna Spring Profile picture
Sep 2, 2020 6 tweets 2 min read Read on X
🚨QAnon and the rabbit hole election!

I spoke to @KattyKay_ and Christian Fraser @BBCWorld about QAnon’s efforts to target Joe Biden with disinfo.

And how the conspiracy theory is spilling into local Facebook groups in swing states like Michigan using SaveTheChildren👇
QAnon conspiracy theorists have been plugging unfounded claims that Biden’s family is connected to Epstein in a bid to link Biden with child trafficking.

His brother does own an island near to Epstein’s - but there is 0 evidence he had anything to do with Epstein’s abuse👇 Image
As this conspiracy theory becomes increasingly popular, it spills out from hardcore conspiracy theory groups and profiles onto the average facebook feed.

Now screenshots of QAnon influencers using SaveTheChildren hashtag are shared in local groups like this one in Michigan👇 Image
It’s hard to quantify the impact conspiracy theories like this have on elections.

But it means this kind of political disinfo is reaching more people who were not exposed to it - and that might influence them not to vote for one candidate or propel them to vote for another!
Plus this conspiracy theory continues to spill out onto the streets - eg. at the anti-lockdown rally in London where Q flags and SaveTheChildren placards featured.

A real worry is QAnon leads to violence offline in the US - or elsewhere!
If you’re seeing QAnon or SaveTheChildren in your local or parent Facebook group - get in touch! Marianna.spring@bbc.co.uk 📧

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More from @mariannaspring

Nov 5
Now in DC investigating everything social media - disinformation, algorithms, hate - including on election night.

Latest interrogating my undecided undercover voter’s feeds & contrast between what she’s pushed on X and TikTok, from some unfounded voter fraud claims to montages. Image

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For more on my social media investigations with the undercover voters check out this thread out and about with Americast! And listen to all our episodes on BBC Sounds - including tonight.

All for the podcast, as well as BBC Online & News at Ten.
Also on BBC Breakfast from v high up (!!!) chatting all about how social media is shaping US election day!

Here’s more on what I’ve found about how algorithms are shaping feeds as people decide how to vote. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…
Read 5 tweets
Aug 10
What connects a dad in Pakistan, an amateur hockey player from Nova Scotia - and “Kevin” from Texas?

I tracked down people linked to Channel3Now, spoke to friends and questioned “management” to reveal real story behind the site accused of fuelling riots. bbc.com/news/articles/…
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What I found appears to be a commercial operation attempting to aggregate crime news while making money on social media rather than linked to the Russian state. More on my investigation for Newscast & News at Ten. Really brilliant to see reaction to it! bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0…
So chasing clicks appears to have been more important than checking the facts.
That’s partly down to the design of social media sites.

Here’s my analysis for BBC’s InDepth asking - what is Elon Musk’s game plan? Delving into the parallel universes on X. bbc.com/news/articles/…
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Read 13 tweets
Jul 8
It’s not AI, it’s us.

Instead of a deepfake tsunami, the election on social media was activists shaping & manipulating conversation with tested tactics (including AI). I investigated with BBC’s Undercover Voters, holding social media companies to account. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…
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The concept of the “social media election” is dead. Instead, the world is constantly shaped by what’s happening on our feeds and group chats. This election was one in which the same old questions about social media regulation went unanswered. Listen here! bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0…
Hours before polls opened I spotted a clip going viral on X falsely suggesting @wesstreeting had used abusive language over war in Gaza - with a group of profiles under the clip lending it credibility.

This is emblematic of tactics at play this election. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…
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Read 10 tweets
Jun 14
Bot or Not? I’ve tracked down people posting about Reform branded ‘bots’. Lots genuine voters, others failed to prove they’re authentic. Reform UK says lots of support is real but is in touch with sites about fakes. Next Undercover Voters investigation. bbc.com/news/articles/…
I spotted comments on posts pushed to my Undercover Voters. I didn’t find posts or accusations in same way about other parties. Some I spoke to are real Reform supporters - while others had holes in stories or didn’t prove they’re authentic.

For online, News at Ten, Newscast.
Other investigations with the UK undercover voters include unpicking tactics of a network of left-leaning X accounts smearing politicians with deepfakes and comments. X has taken action against some of the accounts and posts. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…
Read 4 tweets
Feb 21
It’s my birthday - and next ep of Why Do You Hate Me pod, where I investigate extraordinary cases of online hate!

With exclusive access to Premier League troll-busting team, I explore rise in hate targeting both players & their families - like Neal Maupay. bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0…
For the Radio 4 podcast, I go inside the Premier league team tracking down players’ abusers, talk to striker Neal Maupay about social media abuse & tracks down the man they helped convict for threatening him. Also a series for iPlayer, online & News at Ten.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0…
For the first time, the troll-busting team speaks to a reporter. I quiz them on finding anonymous trolls - and striking balance between protecting freedom of expression & dealing with hate. I also track down Maupay’s troll for answers. Online series here. bbc.co.uk/news/uk-682933…
Read 6 tweets
Oct 15, 2023
Social media has been awash with false claims, conspiracies and hate surrounding what's happening in Israel and Gaza - and questions over whether inauthentic accounts are manipulating the conversation.

I've been investigating who is behind this - and why. bbc.co.uk/news/world-mid…
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The denial playbook is out in full force online, used to cast doubt on whether some Israeli hostages are really civilians - or claiming Palestinian people in Gaza are faking injuries.

Sometimes the source is obvious, but at other times it’s less evident. bbc.co.uk/news/world-mid…
Successful attempts to distort and confuse the online conversation make it a lot harder to get to the truth of what's unfolding on the ground.

That can have serious implications when it comes to investigating allegations of war crimes and providing aid. bbc.co.uk/news/world-mid…
Read 5 tweets

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