Anonymous Skeptics: How QAnon Grew Through Distrust

• In Event: 20220 - Section on Communication, Information Technology, and Media Sociology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Section on Communication, Information Technology, and Media Sociology Roundtable VIII: Politics & Conspiracies

Abstract

This study examines the role of anonymity in shaping trust and credibility within QAnon’s online discourse. Through an analysis of interaction patterns during QAnon’s first six weeks, I show how 4chan’s culture valued anonymity, but also created a pervasive sense of distrust, as users lacked conventional means to assess each other’s reliability. This distrust complicated open deliberation between participants, but ultimately facilitated QAnon’s growth by positioning Q as a uniquely identifiable figure in an otherwise anonymous space.
Q’s increasing identifiability distinguished him from the broader anonymous user base, allowing him to accrue a form of trust by default. This created an imbalance between participants: while Q’s supporters rallied around his persistent identity, his critics—who remained anonymous—struggled to establish credibility. Without the ability to demonstrate consistency over time, skeptics were easily dismissed as outsiders or saboteurs, reinforcing Q’s perceived legitimacy.
Ultimately, this analysis challenges the notion that anonymity fosters open and rational discourse by excluding status. Instead, it shows how weak forms of inferred identity shaped participation, enabling the dominance of the most identifiable actor. Without identifiability to help organize other participants’ claims, Q gains a high degree of relative influence through his higher degree of coherence and visibility over time.

Author

• Jonathan Drake, University of Notre Dame