Announcing... From the Rabbitholes to the Riots

Less than a month after the UK election, race riots raged in cities and towns across the UK, ignited by disinformation about the name and nationality of the murderer of three young girls in Southport. Online networks built through Covid conspiracism became vectors of misinformation and organisation, contributing to attacks on Muslim communities and people of colour, and culminating in attempts to burn hotels filled with refugee families.

How did the misinformation spread so quickly, and what role did online channels dedicated to conspiracy theories around Covid, vaccines, and the Great Replacement play? What was the role of tech platforms, and to what degree were rioters manipulated by cynical actors - domestic and international?

Joining host Alice Howarth, Deputy Editor of The Skeptic, for this panel plotting the course from the conspiracy rabbitholes to the race riots will be:

Dr Joe Ondrak is the Research, Technology, and Policy Senior Analyst at Logically – a company using AI and human experts to tackle the harm caused by online mis- and disinformation. He and his team analyse domestic and international disinformation from a host of sources, from hostile state campaigns to domestic conspiracy groups.

Lewis Thorogood is a junior software developer who, early in the pandemic, was drawn to alternative narratives and explanations, leading him to join groups opposing Covid restrictions and vaccinations. Over time, having questioned his own beliefs, he chose to leave behind conspiracy theories, and to share his concerns about the radicalisation and extremism he witnessed from some corners of the anti-vax movement.

Michael Marshall is the Project Director of the Good Thinking Society, and editor of The Skeptic. Since the start of the pandemic, he has spent time in anti-vaccine and conspiracy theory online groups, and has investigated the role of Telegram in driving and spreading false ideas and promoting extremist narratives.

As with all of our panels, entry to From the Rabbitholes to the Riots is included with your weekend ticket, costing £164 at our early bird rate - but hurry, because our early bird expires on Monday! Tickets purchased after today will be at the full rate of £189. Online tickets will continue to cost £45, for access to the main stage and panel room.