The rise of QAnon

How are Britons reacting to it?

An unfounded conspiracy theory, popularly known as QAnon is slowly gaining popularity in the UK, particularly since the pandemic began. This report gets insights into the ongoing buzz and changing opinion around this fast-growing movement. Conspiracy theorists and government agencies can leverage this data in their decision making.

QAnon, a US-based conspiracy theory about a global cabal of elite pedophiles, has made its way into the UK, gaining followers and inspiring street demonstrations across the country. Already, protests have taken place in 17 cities and towns, including rallies in London and Liverpool, with a few hundreds of people in attendance. In the US, QAnon has been endorsed by several politicians, including incumbent President Donald Trump, despite the FBI listing it as a domestic terror threat. With the movement spreading its wings in the UK, are Britons worried about a similar trend here, and most importantly, what do they think of these fringe theories? Piplsay polled 9,111 people to get the details.

Other Insights

• 30% of women and 28% of men believe in at least some parts of the QAnon conspiracy theories
• 61% of Gen Zers find the political support to QAnon quite concerning as compared to just 39% of Gen Xers
• 61% of men fear QAnon will overshadow genuine child trafficking issue as compared to just 39% of women
• 41% of Millennials and 38% of Gen Zers think QAnon conspiracy theories are here to stay for long

Survey Methodology: This Piplsay survey (powered by Market Cube) was conducted nationwide in the UK from November 6-8, 2020. We received 9,111 online responses from individuals aged 18 years and older.