Web of Lies: The Lure and Danger of Conspiracy Theories

by Aoife Gallagher

There are many ways to fall down the rabbit-hole – and it may be far easier than you realise.
Research analyst Aoife Gallagher has spent years investigating the darkest corners of the internet, but what happens when the online world spills into real life? Web of Lies is a fascinating deep dive into the rising threat of conspiratorial thought in Ireland and internationally, and explores how the internet is being used to spread disinformation – polarising society and radicalising people into extremism in the process.
With balance and fairness, Gallagher connects the worldʼs oldest hatreds to current online cultures, showing how conspiratorial thinking can proliferate during times of crisis and how to recognise its most harmful impacts. Web of Lies is an urgent, provocative but ultimately hopeful call to protect ourselves and our loved ones, before itʼs too late . . . …
'Ever wondered how good people get trapped in their worst nightmares? Web of Lies is an unforgettable journey through the upside-down world of conspiratorial thinking. Aoife Gallagher has written the definitive account of how global lies have changed Irish lives, in a book full of personal empathy, unrivalled expertise and captivating storytelling. It shines a light on the real-world harm of our darkest online fantasies and it shows how each of us can fight back.' Mark Little
'At a time of fractious discord in discourse, Gallagher provides a vital context to and education in the strange and alarming world of conspiracy theories. Anyone interested in truth and facts should read this book.' Una Mullally
'Aoife Gallagher can plumb the depths of the internet and come up to the surface to explain what she's found with levity, empathy and humour. Wise without lecturing; sharp but always maintaining compassion for those caught up in misinformation. A fantastic global overview of trends while having one eye on how these things have come to Ireland.' Brianna Parkins

Genres: Nonfiction

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 6, 2022

Reviews

[Aoife · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

In Web of Lies, author Aoife Gallagher examines the threat of online conspiracy theories from the wacky to the downright dangerous. She also explains and explores the world of Qanon and far-right extremist movements and show how easy it can be for those in a vulnerable place to become radicalised with all sorts of ideas from flat-earth theories to more dangerous anti-covid views or anto-feminist.

I really enjoyed this book and even though the world in which Aoife is explaining is not a new one to me, I found myself learning more about the dark parts of the web that I had blocked out of sight for a bit (but I think it's important to know the existence of these place and be in a position where you can educate others on the dangers of these places). The book is very readable and even though the world of conspiracy theories is vast and can be confusing, Aoife shares her knowledge in a way those with no knowledge of the world can easily digest and I think this is excellent. There is no talking down, or pretentiousness in how the author educated the reader and with such a subject matter, this is so important, and I also really like how Aoife opened the book with sharing how she herself once became victim to conspiracy theories, proving it can happen to anyone and it doesn't mean you are stupid, uneducated or ignorant - ofttimes you may just be in a particular time of your life when something the theorist is pushing lights up your brain and you become vulnerable to believing other information no matter how bizarre it is.

Aoife Gallagher is an Irish author, and while this book looks at conspiracy theories and disinformation/misinformation on a global scale, she is able to drill down several times and show the effects of such movements in Ireland, and even the history of such movements in Ireland (which really shocked me - I had no idea we had so groups in history pushing mad theories like Holocaust denial).

I think this is an important read for everyone, and one that I would recommend to a lot of people from all different walks of life, and who knows, this could save people from believing in disinformation online - or even if it makes people more skeptical to things they are reading without credible sources, that is just brilliant in my eyes.

[Ais O'Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Aoife Gallagher has done is to thoroughly research and report on the topic of fake news, online extremism and the manipulation of willing and often succeptible people. Through misrepresentation and often outright deception under the guise of Truth, Community and an "us against the world" mentality.

Web of Lies is both an empathetic and insightful telling of a current and growing issue born in a time of the human marginalisation and the internet's evolution in both connecting and dividing us.

An excellent read.

[Joe O'Donnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

When did conspiracy theories stop being fun and endearingly quirky, and instead start becoming a threat to our democracies and civilisations? There was once a time, most likely back in the post-modern, irony-drenched 1990s, when peddling a conspiracy theory about, say, the assassination of J.F.K. or C.I.A. involvement in Latin-American coups, still felt vaguely countercultural but essentially harmless. Back then in the pre-Web 2.0 era, headbangers and loopers who believed mad stuff could be easily ignored as they stood gibbering on street corners. In the internet age, however, conspiracy-peddling headbangers can now make contact with ease, and support, reassure, and reinforce each other.

In “Web of Lies”, Aoife Gallagher offers a more nuanced analysis of conspiracy theories, tracing the historical origins of such theories (which are almost inevitably rooted in virulent antisemitism), and examines the psychological biases and weaknesses that make so many of susceptible to what, at first sight, would appear to be arrant nonsense. In doing so, Gallagher outlines the lineage of conspiracies from the Black Death of the 1300s, on to paranoia about ‘Popery’ and Freemasons during the 17th and 18th centuries, through to the Holocaust and on to the Covid-19 pandemic.

And, in “Web if Lies”, it is Covid that is central to Aoife Gallagher’s analysis of conspiracism. The pandemic has provided an unprecedented opportunity for ‘conspiracy entrepreneurs’ to engage with – and draw new converts from – the political mainstream. The Covid-19 lockdowns brought together disparate conspiracy groups, meaning that – as Gallagher tells it – fringe groups that were “not linked previously were now coming together in a new hybridised force”. The author is particularly astute on how, during the pandemic, there has been the development of a pipeline of people from anti-vaccine or Covid conspiracy theories towards extremist far-right ideologies. As Gallagher explains, the anti-vax media environment, a feature of our political landscape for decades, has “scared their audiences into turning their backs on conventional medicine, leaving them vulnerable to the bogus advice and snake oil they offer as an alternative”.

Theories don’t come much more bogus or laden with snake oil than Qanon. In one of the strongest sections of “Web of Lies”, Aoife Gallagher shows how what started out as an elaborate online prank on the troll site 4chan warped into a conspiracy that many people came to believe in intensely. So intensely, in fact, that they might wish to storm the Capitol building in defence of spurious claims of electoral fraud or, most recently, erect a gallows outside Dáil Éireann to intimidate Ireland’s political legislators. The power of Qanon is that it has sucked in loads of old, pre-existing conspiracy theories (everything from antisemitic tropes of blood libel, satanic panics, anti-vax, paranoia about shadowy elites, international finance, or freemasons) and moulded them into one unified cod-philopsophy, becoming – as Gallagher describes it - “the conspiracy theory of everything”. And Gallagher is deft on the psychological underpinnings and gamification features of Qanon; the conspiracy has intriguing, gaming-type elements - almost like an old ‘choose your own adventure’ book - that encourage you to self-radicalise (‘do your own research’).

Aoife Gallagher, commendably, refrains from mocking or patronising the poor souls caught up in these traps of conspiratorial thinking who, as Lewis Carroll might put it, “believe in six impossible things before breakfast”. “Web of Lies” is suffused with empathy for these folk, with Gallagher recognising that conspiracy theories are, more than often, an attempt by anxious, overwhelmed people to make sense of a random, chaotic world. In doing that, Aoife Gallagher has performed an important service, and “Web of Lies” might serve as a valuable weapon in recognising conspiratorial thinking … and ultimately fighting back against it.

[Shane Mulcahy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I thought the subject topic would make for an interesting read, particularly as there is a lack of comparable books dealing with conspiracy theories in an Irish context. The recent rise of misinformation and disinformation has become a real problem in society and is undoubtedly exacerbated by social media and the platform it provides for fake news. As such, there is certainly a role for a book on the subject. However, this particular book was a disappointment, and I'm not convinced the author had the requisite level of experience or expertise to write it. The book starts reasonably well, but it loses any semblance of coherence by Chapter 5 ('The Science'), by which stage the author is selectively choosing the information that she feels warrants inclusion. Anyone that lived through the Covid pandemic in Ireland might question the inclusion of some information over other more pertinent facts which are needed to provide a rounded understanding of what is a very recent period in our history. As the book progresses, it increasingly reads as though the author is trying to prove her own preordained bias whilst unconsciously resorting to lazy tropes that are recognisable from the opposing factions of the online culture war.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always been interested in conspiracy theories and the people that believe them. This book is excellent in how it takes you through the history of them and how they’ve spread throughout history right up to their modern interpretations. The piece on ivermectin is absolutely fascinating as are the examples of how US Q-Anon theories have spread to Ireland. A must read for anyone even vaguely interested in conspiracy theories.

[Josefine Andersson · Rating 2 out of 5]

You can definitely tell that Gallagher is a research analyst. For the majority, I felt like I was reading a research paper for a university class. The first half really catched my interest, and I was HOOKED on reading it. But, as many academic writers, I lost ny interest after the failed attempt to move in from the points being made. In the second half, it felt more as if I was reading an American textbook than a book. Point taken, it could have been boiled down to 200 pages.

[Colin Wheatley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is academic in tone, and that’s good, though it needs more citations to support some claims. The best thing about the book is that I never have to talk to another conspiracy theorist again; I can just push this under their nose and move on with my life.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and insightful. A great read.

[Regina Dooley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting and informative book. It was also disturbing and gave good background to a lot of ideas l heard of but didn't understand

[Mise Enda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good information about the spread of misinformation in an international context, with some great insights into the Irish scene too. Some scary parts to it.

[Mikael Cerbing · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the better introductory books I have read on the subject of conspiracy theories, misinforation and disinformation. Sadly a necessary book in our age.