Pandemic Is ‘A Dream Come True’ For Conspiracy Theorists, Far-Right Extremists Looking To Recruit
Civil rights advocates have been warning for months that the coronavirus crisis could aid recruiting for the most extreme white-supremacist and neo-Nazi groups — those actively rooting for society’s collapse. “Honestly, it’s a dream come true for any and every hate group, snake oil salesman and everything in between,” Tijana Cvjetićanin, a fact-checker, tells Politico.
Politico:
‘Conspiracy Bingo’: Trans-Atlantic Extremists Seize On The Pandemic
The coronavirus is providing a global rallying cry for conspiracy theorists and far-right extremists on both sides of the Atlantic. People seizing on the pandemic range from white supremacists and anti-vaxxers in the U.S. to fascist and anti-refugee groups across Europe, according to a POLITICO review of thousands social media posts and interviews with misinformation experts tracking their online activities. They also include far-right populists on both continents who had previously tried to coordinate their efforts after the 2016 American presidential election. (Scott and Overly, 5/12)
The Associated Press:
Virus Consipracy-Theory Video Shows Challenges For Big Tech
One by one, tech companies across Silicon Valley scrambled to take down a slickly produced video of a discredited researcher peddling a variety of conspiracy theories about the coronavirus. It was all too late. The 26-minute documentary-style video dubbed “Plandemic,” in which anti-vaccine activist Judy Mikovits promotes a string of questionable, false and potentially dangerous coronavirus theories, had already racked up millions of views over several days and gained a massive audience in Facebook groups that oppose vaccines or are protesting governors’ stay-at-home orders. (Seitz and Ortutay, 5/12)
