It’s bursting into the mainstream – a bizarre conspiracy theory that casts US President Donald Trump as its hero.

QAnon claims that the president is secretly fighting a cabal of high-placed paedophiles in Hollywood and the so-called “deep state”. But why has it had an apparent surge in popularity during the global pandemic?

Since it first emerged in an anonymous post on an online message board in 2017, QAnon has developed into a movement which is now making inroads into the American political psyche.

However, many families of QAnon followers feel they have lost their relatives to a dangerous cult. Several people have been arrested plotting attacks while seemingly under the influence of the conspiracy theory.

This week Twitter banned thousands of QAnon-themed accounts, but it’s likely that at least one adherent will enter the US Congress after elections in November.

What role might this strange belief system play in US politics?

Presenter: Mike Wendling

Picture caption: A man in a crowd flashes a QAnon T-shirt

They’re going viral for all the right reasons. Health care workers, scientists and experts have been spreading sound facts and solid advice about coronavirus.

It’s a push back against all the misinformation, speculation and conspiracy theories that have been swirling around about the pandemic.

Presenter: Mike Wendling

Photo Caption: Illustration of a phone with a heart

We’ve all been there – that awkward situation that happens over the dinner table or at a party, when someone starts talking about conspiracy theories.

Presenter: Jonathan Griffin

Photo caption: Woman wearing a mask looking at a computer screen

In April, dozens of mobile phone towers were set on fire across Britain and demonstrators took to the streets to protest the rollout of 5G. They had the bizarre and entirely false idea that phone towers were somehow causing coronavirus.

Fake news and conspiracy theories were given a huge boost by the Covid-19 pandemic, and many of the whispers coalesced around politicians, scientists, and former Microsoft chief executive Bill Gates.

They weren’t true of course, so why did people believe them? We speak to protestors who were sucked into the rabbit hole - and question one of the key players responsible for spreading the myth.

Presenters: Mike Wendling and Marianna Spring

Photo caption: A mobile phone tower

They seem to be selling a deadly chemical, and have no qualms about offering it to people who may be at risk of suicide. But is their business what it seems - or just an elaborate scam?

It was a brutal killing which captured the attention of the US and the world. But the death of George Floyd wouldn’t have caused such an outcry if it hadn’t been captured on camera.

Picture caption: A protest sign reading “No justice, no peace”

It’s full of garish colours and blocky animals. Club Penguin was a huge smash for Disney upon its release 15 years ago. And an unofficial version became an unlikely comeback hit during the coronavirus pandemic, with millions of new players.

But things have gone downhill quickly. The unofficial version is outside of the entertainment giant’s control, and a BBC investigation found that moderation is lax to non-existent. Cybersecurity correspondent Joe Tidy donned his undercover avatar and discovered widespread bullying, sexual content, and racist abuse.

Disney says it’s “appalled” by the unofficial version of the game and has ordered it to be shut down, and parents say it shouldn’t exist anymore. So how did Club Penguin turn sour?

Presenter: Jonathan Griffin

A beautiful shot in the wild can get thousands of likes – but some influencers are going too far.

Presenter: Mike Wendling

Photo caption: A woman takes a selfie in a field of wildflowers

What’s the human cost of viral misinformation?

On Facebook and Reddit, they’ve collected hundreds of thousands of members with their criticisms of feminism and campaigning on a range of gender issues.

We’ve visited the International Conference on Men’s Issues in Chicago to meet the internet personalities driving the men’s rights movement.

So what’s the truth - who are the men’s rights activists?

Presenter: Mike Wendling

Picture credit: BBC