caption David Hogg. source Screenshot/CNN Conspiracy theorists keep targeting Florida high school shooting survivor David Hogg. Hogg has responded to the theorists. They’ve made a number of false claims about him. Far-right conspiracy theorists are now targeting Florida school shooting survivor David Hogg with both a blatantly false attack involving a yearbook photo they claim proves he did not attend the high school and another false claim that he is actually a 26-year-old who was once arrested in South Carolina. Hogg has become the target of a number of conspiracies spread by far-right outlets such as The Gateway Pundit and True Pundit, as well as through social media accounts. The conspiracies center on baseless claims that Hogg is an actor who is working in cahoots with the FBI, where his father is a retired agent. Hogg, a student journalist who says he interviewed classmates during the shooting, … [Read more...] about The conspiracy theory around one of the Florida school shooting survivors is getting even more insane
Conspiracy theories
YouTube is promoting conspiracy theory videos that the far-right has used to claim one of the Florida school shooting survivors is a paid actor
YouTube promoted a conspiracy theory video that claims one of the Florida school shooting survivors is a paid actor. The video was first in the site’s list of trending videos Wednesday morning. YouTube continues to struggle with people gaming the site to promote fake news. A video that claims to show evidence that one of the survivors of the school shooting in Florida last week is a paid actor was promoted by YouTube as the top video in the site’s trending section on Wednesday. caption The conspiracy video was at the top of YouTube’s trending chart on Wednesday. source YouTube The video shows a local news clip featuring David Hogg, one of the shooting survivors who has made several news appearances over the last few days calling for gun control. The segment comes from a CBS Los Angeles local newscast from last summer that shows Hogg telling a reporter how he got into an argument with a lifeguard. … [Read more...] about YouTube is promoting conspiracy theory videos that the far-right has used to claim one of the Florida school shooting survivors is a paid actor
From Nibiru attack to Flat Earth theory: The biggest conspiracy theories that shook the world in 2017
2018 is just 14 days away from now, and the whole world is all set to welcome the New Year, hoping it will be more prosperous and fruitful than the past. As 2017 is coming to an end now, we at IBTimes Singapore take a glimpse back and jot down biggest conspiracy theories which shook the world in the past eleven months.Nibiru: The killer planetThe conspiracy theory surrounding Nibiru was undoubtedly the biggest bizarre claim the world witnessed in 2017. David Meade, a self-proclaimed Christian numerologist predicted that the world will end on September 23, 2017, as rogue planet Nibiru will hit our planet with full fury. The statements of David Meade soon went viral on the Internet, and many people who believed his words even started preparing for the ultimate doomsday.In the meantime, conspiracy theorists including Matt Rogers openly came forward and affirmed that Nibiru is real. He also added the Governments all around the world is spraying chemtrails in the sky to hide the existence … [Read more...] about From Nibiru attack to Flat Earth theory: The biggest conspiracy theories that shook the world in 2017
YouTube cracks down on conspiracy theory, propaganda channels
YouTube is taking another step forward in purging the video streaming platform from inaccurate content, and this time it is chasing channels promoting conspiracy theories and state-backed propaganda. YouTube has been the subject of criticisms in the last few years, particularly on its role in spreading wrong information. The company on Friday announced its plans to change the way it provides users context for videos promoting such content. YouTube chief product officer Neal Mohan said it would label all videos of broadcasting companies sponsored by any states. Also read: Cryptojackers use YouTube ads to mine digital coins On top of state-sponsored videos, the Google unit will also be looking at conspiracy theories and try providing relevant content from reliable news sources. Mohan admitted that their platform has been infested with videos of such kind and they do not know yet how to select relevant videos. YouTube depends largely on algorithms to parse and recommend videos. With the … [Read more...] about YouTube cracks down on conspiracy theory, propaganda channels
A wildly popular conspiracy theory about why there are so many Mattress Firm stores is starting to sound less crazy
Mattress Firm is the largest specialty mattress retailer in the US. Some argue that the company has too many stores, sometimes in high concentrations. A comment on Reddit that suggested that Mattress Firm was laundering money went viral on Tuesday but has since been removed. Mattress Firm’s parent company recently disclosed “accounting irregularities,” Reuters reported. If you’ve ever wondered why there seems to be a Mattress Firm on every corner in your city, you’re not alone. But one explanation for this phenomenon is more extreme than you might expect. On Tuesday, a comment on Reddit claiming that Mattress Firm, the largest specialty mattress retailer in the US, is a money-laundering operation went viral – but it has since been deleted, The Next Web reported. “Mattress Firm is some sort of giant money laundering scheme,” a Reddit user wrote, adding: … [Read more...] about A wildly popular conspiracy theory about why there are so many Mattress Firm stores is starting to sound less crazy