First Name Tom, Last Name Foolery… And I’m Everybody’s Uncle!

Even before the blaze at Notre Dame was extinguished, conspiracy theories & fake news about the fire had ricocheted around the internet.

The most egregious examples of misinformation originated in the darker corners of the internet but many found bigger audiences on social media.

One prominent conspiracy theory revolved around the claim that the fire had been deliberately started.

InfoWars, a fringe website which is known for spreading conspiracy theories, published a story which suggested the fire had been intentionally set.

Paris Prosecutor Rémy Heitz said that while the cause of the fire has not been established, it was likely "accidental."

"Nothing shows that it's an intentional act" he said in a press conference on Tuesday.

Yet some social media users made claims that went beyond even what was claimed by InfoWars. On Twitter, a fake account made to look like one operated by CNN claimed the fire was caused by terrorism.

The account, which was created in April, was only removed several hours after CNN publicly called out Twitter over it.

The claim was based on a single erroneous tweet, which was later deleted. The InfoWars story remains online.                                       

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By: Gianluca Mezzofiore

Image: Getty