Navigating Early-Stage Migration: Comparing QAnon Community Dynamics on Twitter, Parler, and Dotwin

This paper examines the impact of platform migration on the QAnon community during their transition from Twitter to alternative platforms like Parler and Dotwin following initial widespread account bans on Twitter. We examine how QAnon’s community dynamics—including user roles and activities—evolved amidst this migration by analyzing their activities on Twitter, Parler, and Dotwin in the months leading up to the Jan 6th Capitol attack. We assess user engagement and influence changes, categorizing users into five distinct roles: ’common users,’ ‘broadcasters,’ ’influentials,’ ’hidden influentials,’ and ’lurkers.’ Our findings challenge traditional linear migration models by revealing extremist communities’ complex, multi-platform engagement during early-stage migration. Our findings also suggest the importance of platform affordances in supporting various user roles in extremist communities. Our research also broadens the scope of existing literature by offering a longitudinal cross-platform analysis, providing new insights into the evolving dynamics of extremist online activity.