The U.S. Exported QAnon to Australia and New Zealand. Now It’s Creeping Into COVID-19 Lockdown Protests
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time.com]
Why QAnon is attracting so many followers in Australia — and how it can be countered
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theconversation.com]
Facebook's QAnon ban omits high-profile Australians linked to conspiracy theory
This article is more than 2 months old
Pages and groups deleted but individual accounts – like Pete Evans’ profile – left untouched
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www.theguardian.com]
'Vector of influence': Labor grills officials about QAnon family friend of Scott Morrison
This article is more than 1 month old
Prime minister’s department staff tell Senate estimates they have not briefed the PM on the conspiracy theory
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www.theguardian.com]
[
www.abc.net.au]
How the QAnon conspiracy theory is tearing family and friends apart in Australia
By technology reporter Ariel Bogle
Posted SunSunday 23 AugAugust 2020
Report from an Austrlian participant on Reddit's QAnon Casualties
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www.reddit.com]
Quote
/QAnonCasualties
•Posted byu/alexysez
1 day ago
It’s happening everywhere!
The same story - in different countries. I am in Australia and I lost my best mate because of Qanon. We were going to spend Christmas together but that’s cancelled now because we have fundamental differences and after reading many posts here and elsewhere- he pretty much sounds just like everyone else.
He lost his job in March
He was always a bit partial to a conspiracy theory
He watched a lot of YouTube videos
He started talking about Hollywood Pedos.
He explained to me that Trump is very smart and his tweets are coded messages
Everything is not as it seems
Trump won in a landslide and will be victorious
His wife and his sister are also 100% believers now too.
Here’s the thing. He’s Australian - Trump really has nothing to do with our lives He is really smart. College educated, voracious reader, warm, gentle and had generally left leaning ideals - the complete opposite of a “conservative”
This whole thing is mind blowing! It has taken hold in such fierce way and even though I know about confirmation bias, algorithm sink holes and the weaponisation of social media - it is still shocking to see how widespread and mainstream this has become.