You're listening to Comedy Central.

Ow!

Online conspiracies.

They're the second most searched thing on the internet after Joseph Gordon-Levitt dancing.

Talk about a triple threat.

Mama Mia!

But recently, more insidious theories like Pizza Gate, 5G COVID Towers, and QAnon

have climbed out of the dark corners of the internet to cause real-world violence,

influence elections, and splinter democracy.

Mama Mia!

But how do people get sucked into these extreme online cults?

I infiltrated the dark web via something called Gmail to find someone who had escaped these pernicious groups.

But if she was gonna trust me, I'd have to start off nice and easy.

Give me your name.

How did you find QAnon? Who is Q? Is Q you?

My name is Linkaparan. I'm not Q.

I don't know who Q is, but I'm a Mama 3, and I'm a risk manager for an insurance company.

Okay.

Mama risk manager.

That seems relatively normal.

How did you get involved in these conspiracy communities?

I didn't join them. They kind of found me.

...