False flag conspiracy theories predate the internet by decades, but the speed and volume at which they now spread is unprecedented, with claims increasing on X (formerly Twitter) by more than 1,100 percent over the past five years. This surge reflects deeper shifts in the information ecosystem. While antisemitic tropes are central to many of these narratives, their traction also stems from a broader collapse in public trust in mainstream media, public institutions and official accounts. Their spread has been amplified by the growing ecosystem of self-anointed “news influencers” who increasingly serve as primary sources and have gained larger audiences by leveraging algorithms that favor sensationalism over accuracy. By presenting their false flag conspiracy theories as interpretations or commentary rather than verifiable claims, these narratives exploit the deprecation of platform fact checking initiatives and nascent open source systems. False flag narratives distort facts, promote fear and provide a conspiratorial lens through which audiences interpret global crises, undermining trust in institutions. This trend has intensified in the past months: false flag claims increasing by almost 350 percent between April and June compared to the two previous months. This surge followed attacks in Washington, DC and Boulder, Colorado, as well as Israeli airstrikes on Iranian facilities. This follows a historical pattern in which claims about false flags emerge during moments of crises (such as 9/11 and the 7 October attacks). Many of these older false flag conspiracy theories were also referred back to during contemporary events.
The rise of false flag conspiracy theories in moments of crises – ISD
