Conspiracy Clickbait: The Art of the (Affiliate Marketing) Deal

Authors: Elise Thomas
Published: 19 January 2022

This case study is one of three in the Conspiracy Clickbait series. It analyzes a commercial operation linked to individuals in Vietnam which uses QAnon and divisive US political content to generate revenue via digital advertising, affiliate product sales and soliciting donations. This case study helps to demonstrate the flexibility and opportunism of commercially motivated actors in trialing multiple means of monetizing conspiracy theories and disinformation.