QAnon Hashtag Hijacking Ineffective for Engagement on X

QAnon's strategy of hijacking unrelated hashtags on X (formerly Twitter) to gain visibility and engagement has proven largely ineffective, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed over 400,000 tweets from 2020 and 2021 containing QAnon-associated keywords.

The study, conducted by Francesco Campisi and Francis Fortin of the University of Montreal's School of Criminology, found that while hijacked hashtags were frequently used, they did not significantly increase likes, replies, or reposts. This suggests that simply inserting QAnon content into existing public conversations does not effectively sway audiences.

QAnon, a decentralized organization, emerged in the late 2010s. It gained prominence during events like the January 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riot. The group uses an "information ecosystem" to spread various conspiracy theories.

Researchers focused on tweets posted during significant events. These included the murder of George Floyd, Black Lives Matter protests, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the U.S. presidential election. Data collection ceased after January 2021, following X's removal of accounts linked to the January 6 insurrection.

Campisi noted that social media algorithms interpret many signals. Clicking a specific hashtag is only one small factor. Algorithms are complex and constantly changing. The study's findings were published in the journal *Technology in Society*.

Future research will explore how hashtag hijacking might influence individuals who do not directly engage with posts. This includes examining the potential for certain narratives to increase the likelihood of "lone wolf" attacks, a concept known as stochastic terrorism.