Curated expert opinion on intractable contemporary issues

Global Outlook: Social Media, Technology and Peacebuilding

QAnon and Mass Digital Radicalisation: Peacebuilding and the American Insurgency

By Lisa Schirch  |  21 January, 2021

US-based right-wing extremists harnessed social media platforms to spread disinformation, to recruit new members, to plan a siege on the US Capitol building, and to fuel the flames of hate and division in the US. Even before the January 6 siege on the US Capitol, counterterrorism and counterinsurgency experts have been describing the “mass radicalisation” of Americans via social media-driven conspiracies. According to a Reuters poll, 13% of the US population supported the siege.

The views and opinions expressed in Global Outlook are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Toda Peace Institute.