TIME quotes Squire in piece on right-wing conspiracy theorists and the pandemic

TIME featured Professor of Computer Science Megan Squire in a recent article about right-wing conspiracy spreading their messages online and taking advantage of captive audiences during the global pandemic.

The social isolation of the global pandemic has presented an opportunity for right-wing conspiracy theorists to spread their messages online, a recent TIME article says.

Professor of Computer Science Megan Squire

In the article, “How Far-Right Personalities And Conspiracy Theorists Are Cashing In On The Pandemic Online,” TIME includes insight from Professor of Computer Science Megan Squire about efforts by right-wing extremists to use lesser-known streaming platforms to spread their ideology to viewers during the ongoing crisis.

Squire, who has conducted extensive research into online extremism, highlighted the attempt by mainstream services like YouTube to ban these extremists for hate speech and the subsequent migration of those users to more alternative platforms with large audiences willing to pay for their content.

“These people build their brand on YouTube, and when they get demonetized or feel under threat they’ll set up backup channels on DLive or BitChute,” Squire told TIME. “They know it’s going to happen and plan ahead.”

Read the entire TIME article here.