Conspiracy Watch

Format	Online
Publisher	Rudy Reichstadt
Founded	2007
Language	French, English
Headquarters	Paris, France
Website	conspiracywatch.info

Conspiracy Watch (an English phrase that can be translated word for word as: the conspiracy watchtower) is a French and Francophone website founded in 2007 and managed by an association, the Observatory of Conspiracism (of which "Conspiracy Watch" is also a possible translation), since 2014. Its editorial line is focused on denouncing conspiracy theories and antisemitism, as well as Holocaust denial. It also contributes to debunking disinformation.^[1]

It is run by its founder, political scientist Rudy Reichstadt, and historian Valérie Igounet, a specialist in the study of the far-right and Holocaust denial. Initially operating on a volunteer basis, the site became professionalized with financial support from the Shoah Memorial Foundation starting in 2017. In 2018, it became an online press service.^[2]

The Conspiracy Watch website was created in 2007 by Rudy Reichstadt, who initially worked on it as a volunteer. It aimed to document and denounce conspiracism, antisemitism, and Holocaust denial, recurrent themes in the conspiracy sphere during the 2010s, by providing information on conspiracy theorists and their platforms.

The site gained attention after the January 2015 terrorist attacks in France when Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem stated on RTL that "one in five young people adheres to conspiracy theories." This figure, based on an interview with Reichstadt as part of the "mobilization of schools for the values of the Republic," referred to belief in the existence of the Illuminati. The statement triggered a surge in visits to the site.^[3]

Following this, the Government Information Service sought out Rudy Reichstadt, the main editor of Conspiracy Watch, to help create content for the website ontemanipule.fr, aimed at combating the spread of conspiracy theories. Reichstadt received support from the Interministerial Delegation for Combating Racism, Antisemitism, and Anti-LGBT Hate (DILCRAH) to produce educational videos.

The website has since become a recommended resource by the Ministry of National Education.

In 2017, the Shoah Memorial Foundation began supporting the Observatory of Conspiracism, enabling Rudy Reichstadt to be paid for his previously voluntary work. He left his job at the Paris City Hall to work alongside historian Valérie Igounet. After ten years of operation, in 2018, the site was recognized as an online press service.

In December 2020, Deputy Martine Wonner demanded that Conspiracy Watch remove articles about her, which Reichstadt refused, citing freedom of information.^[4]

Conspiracy Watch was one of seventeen associations selected by the committee of the Fonds Marianne, created in 2021 by Marlène Schiappa, to support the fight against radicalization. Conspiracy Watch received a €60,000 grant to produce information notices on major conspiracy themes and update existing ones.^[5]

In 2023, during a Senate hearing, Rudy Reichstadt indicated that Conspiracy Watch's budget was around €203,000, about 50% of which came from public grants. These funds helped strengthen their presence on social media to combat online hate speech.^[6]

In April 2024, Reporters Without Borders condemned "baseless comments" by Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, which led to a campaign of cyberbullying against Conspiracy Watch journalists. Dupont-Aignan accused them of being part of a "shadow cabinet" of Emmanuel Macron, allegedly funded by the state to "destroy our democracy."^[7]

Conspiracy Watch monitors conspiracy theory news and demonstrates that there is consistency among them.

In February 2017, the site revealed the Olivier Sauton affair, unearthing antisemitic tweets from the actor and his 2011 collaboration in a film with Dieudonné, far-right essayist Alain Soral, and Holocaust denier Robert Faurisson.

In 2017, Conspiracy Watch accused the blog les-crises.fr by Olivier Berruyer of relaying an anti-Israeli caricature that had been circulating in conspiracy circles for four years. After the accusation, les-crises.fr corrected its mistake.^[8]

In January 2020, Conspiracy Watch criticized a conspiracy theory passage in a new history textbook, leading the publisher to issue a formal correction.^[9]

The site is regularly cited by national media in cases involving conspiracy theories. Many media figures, such as Libération's Laurent Joffrin and others, have praised it as a reference in the field. However, critics, including Le Monde diplomatique, have accused the site of lacking neutrality in its choice of targets, particularly those from the radical left.^{[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]}

Conspiracy Watch has been criticized for dramatizing conspiracy theory issues to legitimize its existence, leading some to argue that its approach may contribute to radicalizing doubters by associating them with dangerous propagandists. Some researchers also question the site's lack of sociological understanding and its pathologizing view of conspiracism.^{[18][19][20][21][22][23]}

• Official website (in French)