Senior Analyst Ciarán O’Connor shares insights with NPR on the spread of conspiracies about eating bugs that has become increasingly prevalent on social media in recent months. More broadly, Ciarán connects these claims to the wider Great Reset conspiracy theory which “has been adapted and adopted by leading prominent political figures in many, many countries in a way that’s new.”

In these theories, “there’s an undefined ‘they’ in charge,” explained Ciarán, finding connections with another conspiracy. “‘We would have almost no luxuries and would work for whatever minor consumption we would be allowed’ … I definitely see New World Order overtones.”

The article specifically draws on a recent Explainer about the Great Reset published by ISD in March, highlighting the role of right-wing media figures in the US like Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham in popularising the conspiracy theory.

“In this (conspiracy) iteration, they are going to make you eat bugs,” he said.