The infamous QAnon conspiracy theory is back in the spotlight as a major supporter of it- Marjorie Taylor Greene has won the Republican primary from Georgia. The followers of this theory which has gained a lot of traction in the election season believe that there is a deep state plot against US President Donald Trump and that he is secretly fighting a faction of pedophiles that control the world.

ALSO READ: US President Trump fans false birther theory about Kamala Harris

As QAnon supporters started spreading misinformation and initiated coordinated attacks on profiles, platforms like Twitter, Facebook and TikTok took sweeping actions to limit the reach of QAnon content. However, the theory manages to spread further despite the crackdown.

So what is QAnon and where did it all start?

What is QAnon?

At its core, QAnon is a far-right, baseless conspiracy theory, which suggests that US President Donald Trump is battling a secret war against a “deep state”- a cabal of liberal elites who are Satan worshipping paedophiles. This fight according to them will lead to a day where people belonging to this faction will be arrested and executed. 

ALSO READ: Facebook blocks deceptive pro-Trump campaign from Romania

QAnon followers continue to build this narrative further by connecting recent events to the central theory. Billionaire financier George Soros, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Ellen DeGeneres, Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey are some of the prominent names that were targeted by QAnon supporters. The allegations on them range from human trafficking to paedophelia.

How did it emerge?

One of the first posts in the QAnon series dates back to October 2016. It centered on the claim that a security official named Q was revealing details about a secret “deep state” plot to undermine Trump.

These anonymous messages from the user “Q” were posted on the online image-based bulletin board 4chan. It became popular later as “Qdrops” or “breadcrumbs.” Subsequently, a random account on Twitter claimed the Clintons were about to be brought down by a massive child trafficking/sex scandal. The theory was debunked later.

ALSO READ: QAnon supporter Marjorie Greene wins Georgia primary, Trump applauds

The messages were written in a cryptic language and often contained slogans. “Where we go one we go all” is one of the most popular QAnon slogans.

QAnon and the US elections: A ‘dangerous new phase’

From unidentified fake online accounts, QAnon has seeped into the offline world. The FBI has described the QAnon movement as a domestic terror threat. Despite this, the evidence-free claims propagated by the supporters were retweeted multiple times by Donald Trump. The victory of many QAnon supporters in the recent GOP primaries in the US is also seen as a warning sign.

ALSO READ: Twitter bans QAnon accounts, removes link related to conspiracy theory

Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jo Rae Perkins, Lauren Boebert, Theresa Raborn re some of the staunch QAnon supporters who will be running for elections. 

They also have an international presence, especially in Europe, where a French QAnon website has more than 25,000 followers, according to Julien Bellaiche at the Global Network on Extremism and Technology

Clearly, what began as a bizarre conspiracy theory in the fringes of the internet three years back and turned out to be a major narrative in US politics is now crossing borders finding supporters across the globe.