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Reddit bans QAnon subreddit that featured pro-Trump conspiracy theories

It was taken down for content policy violations, Reddit said.

Abrar Al-Heeti Technology Reporter
Abrar Al-Heeti is a technology reporter for CNET, with an interest in phones, streaming, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. She's also worked for CNET's video, culture and news teams. She graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco -- steep inclines and all.
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great-awakening-ban

Reddit banned the subreddit r/greatawakening on Wednesday for content policy violations. 

Screenshot by Morgan Little/CNET

A subreddit devoted to QAnon, a conspiracy theory that's captivated far-right social media, has been banned by Reddit .

On Wednesday, the company banned r/greatawakening for "repeated violations of the terms of our content policy," a Reddit representative said. 

"We are very clear in our site terms of service that posting content that incites violence, disseminates personal information, or harasses will get users and communities banned from Reddit," the representative said. 

The QAnon conspiracy theory has become popular among a group of supporters of President Donald Trump. Allegations include that a multibillion-dollar cement company and Tom Hanks are involved in child sex trafficking and pedophilia, and that Trump and special counsel Robert Mueller are working to take down the Deep State. 

QAnon began in October 2017, after a user going by the name "Q" starting posting to 4chan's far-right /pol/ message board. Q claimed to possess insight into the inner workings of the American government, particularly agencies tied to the so-called Deep State. He or she warned of the "Calm Before the Storm." The "anon" in the name QAnon is a reference to 4chan and 8chan users who refer to anonymous users as "anon."

r/greatawakening had over 70,000 subscribers as of yesterday, Digg reported