Cultivating QAnon: How Disinformation Networks Sustain Conspiracy Theories in Italian Digital Media

Italian QAnon Infrastructure Reveals Complex Web of Disinformation, Research Shows

A comprehensive eleven-month study has uncovered how Italian QAnon supporters have methodically constructed an elaborate “infrastructure of disinformation” that operates across multiple platforms and digital channels, presenting significant challenges for content moderation efforts.

According to research presented by Dr. Irene Pasquetto, Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Information, these networks have created a sophisticated ecosystem that extends far beyond conventional social media platforms, incorporating messaging apps, forums, alternative media outlets, websites, databases and content aggregators.

“Examining disinformation from an infrastructural lens reveals how QAnon disinformation operations extend well-beyond the use of social media and the construction of false narratives,” explained Pasquetto during a presentation for the Speaker Series on Misinformation, jointly sponsored by Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center and Northeastern University’s NULab.

The research documented how Italian QAnon supporters systematically built and maintained these multi-layered information networks, which have grown increasingly complex over time. Unlike temporary misinformation campaigns, these infrastructures demonstrate remarkable stability and resilience, even as the conspiracy theories they promote continue to evolve.

Pasquetto’s findings highlight a critical distinction between these disinformation networks and legitimate information infrastructures designed for scientific or bureaucratic purposes. The QAnon systems are specifically engineered to construct what followers perceive as “epistemic evidence” – information that appears authoritative and factual but actually reinforces conspiracy narratives.

The research carries significant implications for platform governance and content moderation strategies. Pasquetto emphasized that timing is crucial when addressing these networks. “Deplatforming is a time-sensitive effort,” she noted. “The longer platforms wait to intervene, the harder it is to eradicate these information infrastructures.”

This timing factor creates a compounding problem for platforms attempting to address extremist content. As these networks develop additional layers and become more distributed across the internet, they simultaneously build a dedicated audience of loyal followers who can quickly reconstruct disrupted channels.

The Italian case study provides valuable insights into how conspiracy movements operate globally. While QAnon originated in the United States, it has adapted to local contexts worldwide, with Italian supporters creating culturally specific content while maintaining connections to the broader international movement.

Media analysts have noted that QAnon’s resilience stems partly from its ability to absorb and incorporate existing conspiracy theories while providing adherents with a sense of community and purpose. The movement’s flexible narrative allows supporters to interpret global events through a conspiratorial framework that can adapt to changing circumstances.

Dr. Pasquetto brings significant expertise to this research area. Prior to her position at the University of Michigan, she served as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center, where she co-founded and served as chief editor of the Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review. She earned her Ph.D. in Information Studies from UCLA, where she worked at the Center for Knowledge Infrastructures.

The findings contribute to growing concerns about the challenge of countering organized disinformation efforts. As these networks become more sophisticated, traditional content moderation approaches focused solely on individual platforms appear increasingly inadequate.

Platform companies and regulators now face difficult questions about how to address these distributed infrastructures without infringing on free speech or legitimate information sharing. Some experts suggest that collaboration between platforms, increased transparency about network connections, and media literacy initiatives may offer partial solutions.

This research underscores the need for further study of disinformation infrastructures across different countries and contexts to develop more effective responses to the growing global challenge of organized conspiracy movements and their sophisticated information networks.