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Waiting for Q: An Exploration of QAnon Users' Online Migration to Poal in the Wake of Voat's Demise

Antonis Papasavva, Enrico Mariconti

TL;DR

This study analyzes the migration dynamics of QAnon communities across Reddit, Voat, and Poal in response to Reddit bans and Voat's shutdown. Using multi-platform longitudinal data, bigram topic analysis, and sentiment assessment, it reveals a two-stage migration: initial within-Reddit shifts after bans, followed by cross-platform moves to Voat and, later, Poal after Voat's shutdown. The findings show substantial Voat-to-Poal migration and demonstrate Poal as a platform hosting dangerous discussions, including planning around the January 6th Capitol attack. The work highlights how deplatforming can reshape online extremism ecosystems and underscores the need for monitoring fringe platforms and coordinated cross-platform migrations. Methodologically, the paper combines public Reddit/Voat data with Poal crawls and ethical precautions, offering a framework for studying disruptive events in online conspiracist communities.

Abstract

Online communities are groups of people who interact primarily via the Internet, often sharing common interests. Some of these groups, particularly supporters of Q who created the far-right conspiracy theory known as QAnon, are highly toxic and controversial. These communities are often banned from various mainstream online social networks due to their controversy. This study examines the deplatforming and subsequent migrations of QAnon adherents, following a two-step process. We analyze Reddit data, finding that users opt for Voat as an alternative following the Reddit bans, particularly influenced by Q's postings on 4chan. Subsequently, upon Voat's shutdown announcement, we observe users recommending Poal. Among several insights, we compare the effects of abrupt permanent bans and announced shutdowns on the migration patterns of these conspiracists. Specifically, we find that almost half of Poal's active users are Voat migrants who registered after the shutdown was announced. This contradicts the patterns observed after the Reddit bans, suggesting that advance warning can facilitate more coordinated migrations. Lastly, our research uncovers evidence of discussions and planning related to the January 6th, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, which emerged shortly after Voat's shutdown, predominantly on Poal. This underscores the continued activity of the conspiracy, albeit at a diminished scale due to various bans and a shutdown, while also exposing Poal as a platform that hosts dangerous individuals.

Waiting for Q: An Exploration of QAnon Users' Online Migration to Poal in the Wake of Voat's Demise

TL;DR

This study analyzes the migration dynamics of QAnon communities across Reddit, Voat, and Poal in response to Reddit bans and Voat's shutdown. Using multi-platform longitudinal data, bigram topic analysis, and sentiment assessment, it reveals a two-stage migration: initial within-Reddit shifts after bans, followed by cross-platform moves to Voat and, later, Poal after Voat's shutdown. The findings show substantial Voat-to-Poal migration and demonstrate Poal as a platform hosting dangerous discussions, including planning around the January 6th Capitol attack. The work highlights how deplatforming can reshape online extremism ecosystems and underscores the need for monitoring fringe platforms and coordinated cross-platform migrations. Methodologically, the paper combines public Reddit/Voat data with Poal crawls and ethical precautions, offering a framework for studying disruptive events in online conspiracist communities.

Abstract

Online communities are groups of people who interact primarily via the Internet, often sharing common interests. Some of these groups, particularly supporters of Q who created the far-right conspiracy theory known as QAnon, are highly toxic and controversial. These communities are often banned from various mainstream online social networks due to their controversy. This study examines the deplatforming and subsequent migrations of QAnon adherents, following a two-step process. We analyze Reddit data, finding that users opt for Voat as an alternative following the Reddit bans, particularly influenced by Q's postings on 4chan. Subsequently, upon Voat's shutdown announcement, we observe users recommending Poal. Among several insights, we compare the effects of abrupt permanent bans and announced shutdowns on the migration patterns of these conspiracists. Specifically, we find that almost half of Poal's active users are Voat migrants who registered after the shutdown was announced. This contradicts the patterns observed after the Reddit bans, suggesting that advance warning can facilitate more coordinated migrations. Lastly, our research uncovers evidence of discussions and planning related to the January 6th, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, which emerged shortly after Voat's shutdown, predominantly on Poal. This underscores the continued activity of the conspiracy, albeit at a diminished scale due to various bans and a shutdown, while also exposing Poal as a platform that hosts dangerous individuals.
Paper Structure (15 sections, 5 figures, 5 tables)

This paper contains 15 sections, 5 figures, 5 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. Datasets
  4. Ethical Considerations
  5. Longitudinal Analysis
  6. Temporal Analysis
  7. User Activity
  8. Topic evolution
  9. What are Reddit Users Discussing?
  10. What are Voat Users Discussing?
  11. What are Poal Users Discussing?
  12. Mentions to Reddit Alternatives.
  13. Mentions to Voat Alternatives.
  14. Sentiment Analysis
  15. Discussion and Conclusion

Figures (5)

  • Figure 1: Number of (a) submissions and (b) comments per day on Reddit, Voat, and Poal.
  • Figure 2: Number of (a) submitters and (b) commenters per day on Voat and Poal.
  • Figure 3: Intersection of usernames on Reddit, Voat, and Poal QAnon communities.
  • Figure 4: Alternative social networks mentioned on (a) Reddit and (b) Voat QAnon subreddits and subverses, respectively.
  • Figure 5: CDF plots of the compound score on (a) Reddit and (b) on Voat discussions mentioning alternatives.