The French research organisation Conspiracy Watch, which deals with political misinformation and conspiracy theories, has recently released an innovative interactive map. This map lists manipulative sites and blogs that spread false information to the French-speaking community. To determine the traffic volume of these sites, experts used data provided by the Similarweb platform. This platform records information and statistics on traffic sources, time spent on the site, page views, and keyword analysis.
The top ten manipulators on the list include France Soir (2.76 million visitors per month), Égalité et Réconciliation (2.36 million users), Le Salon Beige (1.18 million), RéseauInternational.net (1.016 million), Crowdbunker (902,558), Le Média en 442 (830,428), Esprit Science Métaphysiques (821,940), Le Courrier des Stratèges (645,759), Qactus (531,701), and Wikistrike (506,479). In addition to information about the popularity of conspiracy and disinformation sites, the interactive map provides information about their founders and owners.
In the map, 16 websites promoting the Kremlin’s interests were identified; 13 were from France, while the rest spread disinformation from Belgium, Canada, and Switzerland. “Not all resources working in the interests of the Kremlin were included in the list,” explained Rudy Reichstadt, the director of Conspiracy Watch, in a comment to Le Figaro. “For example, we did not add RT and Sputnik for methodological reasons. Sites that broadcast pro-Kremlin propaganda can be found practically everywhere, not just in the pro-Kremlin ‘network.’ To classify them, we chose the dominant tone of each site”.
According to observations by Conspiracy Watch, a tendency towards conspiracy theories often coincides with pro-Russian sympathies. “The most active conspiracy theorists clearly and unequivocally support the Kremlin, Islamic Republic of Iran, and the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria”, added Rudy Reichstadt. “We are only talking about websites and blogs; we are not taking into account pages on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channels. In the French-speaking space, there are several hundreds of them, with 30-40 having nearly 100,000 visitors per month, and the top 12 having a million or more”.
Rudy Reichstadt believes that the problem of deliberate disinformation has been underestimated for years. “For a long time, conspiracy theorists were dismissed as paranoid and not worth listening to. But this is a mistake: conspiracy theory is not a psychological pathology; it is a political project. Conspiracy theorists act as mercenaries of disinformation. They are very cynical people who do not seek the truth or objectivity in any way. In their public appearances and publications, they unabashedly vilify their political opponents and discredit them with the most outrageous lies. They are not accustomed to civilised democratic debates or mature exchanges of arguments. On the contrary, the meanest steps, the most shameful blows are not only allowed but encouraged, accompanied with a complete indifference towards the real facts,” noted the researcher in a conversation with The Ukrainian Week/Tyzhden.
Conspiracy Watch analysts propose combating this dangerous phenomenon primarily at the legislative level since conspiracy theory is based on hatred and should bear legal consequences. “But most of all, I believe in the mobilisation of civil society, especially through social networks”, says Rudy Reichstadt. “We must recognise that we live in a world where conspiracy theorists have ceased to be invisible marginal figures. They have grabbed their social niche and will remain alongside us in the future, reminding us of their presence. Propaganda cannot be defeated with even more propaganda. It can only be brought down with the facts, investigations, and trustworthy information coming from clear, reliable sources”.
