7 Reddit Conspiracies That Turned Out to Be TRUE

7 Reddit Conspiracies That Turned Out to Be True

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at real-life conspiracies that Reddit users predicted…or even caught early.

Devices Listening In to Conversations

Before evidence came pouring in about the many ways our phones and devices were listening in on our conversations, there was Reddit. For years, people have been sharing stories about their own experiences with suspiciously prescient technology. The anecdotes concern people casually mentioning what they needed to buy to others in conversation… and then going online and getting hit with the ads for that exact same product. Now we know that devices are always “on,” compiling both voice data and online shopping behavior. The result is an eerily accurate guess of the user’s needs and wants before they even type the first keystroke. Amazon, Google, et al., of course, have denied it all. Chilling.

Russia Allegedly Ran Anti-Vax Misinformation Campaign for U.S.

Russian agents deliberately propagating misinformation through Twitter trolls sounded like something from the wildest sci-fi film. Or just your bog-standard Reddit political conspiracy theory. At least one Reddit user caught it early in 2019. Sure enough, a study found that Russian trolls deliberately sowed contention on Twitter, posting on both sides of the vaccination debate. Presumably, it was to discourage Americans from getting vaccinated and therefore increase the chances of them contracting dangerous diseases. Other misinformation was reported, including 5G technology being linked to autism, cancer, and Alzheimer's. Now that is sabotage.

Government & Corporate Censorship of Social Media

In hindsight, it was obvious. Reddit users have long pointed out the censoring practices of social media platforms. We know now that corporations and governments would and did use the power of social media to control and censor unpalatable or even dangerous ideas. Platforms like X/Twitter have taken down posts following complaints by governments and other third parties. This included, disturbingly enough, authoritarian governments, whose requests for takedowns were approved 83% of the time! Not to mention the censorship-by-algorithm the platform employs to suppress counter-establishment narratives. Similar censoring practices have been undertaken by Facebook, Apple, Google, and TikTok. No surprises there.

The U.S. & Hollywood

The entertainment industry working with government spy agencies is, sadly, a historical constant, with even famous writers working as government agents. In our own time, online users, particularly Reddit ones, have clocked obvious pro-military propaganda in film and TV, as well as the cheekily coined “copaganda.” Now it’s known that both the Pentagon and the CIA have an entertainment liaison office. In fact, more than 800 films have received support from the Department of Defense. This includes blockbuster franchises such as “Iron Man,” “Transformers,” “The Terminator,” and “Zero Dark Thirty.” TV shows such as “24,” “Homeland,” and “NCIS” also received support. The purpose is usually to promote pro-military and government narratives and avoid criticism of those entities. It’s really a tale as old as time.

Dead Internet

Some internet theories, however, did stretch credulity a bit. Reddit users have long posited the Dead Internet theory in some way. Most likely originating in an image board, this theory states that most of the posts made online are actually from bots and other automated content. The conspiracy is to control the population and make the Internet useless in terms of getting actual human interaction. Now, with the advent of generative AI, the theory not only has become vastly more plausible, but there is nascent evidence as well. Bot accounts on social media are especially prevalent. Reddit even allowed users free access to its API and data, only changing to paid access in 2023. With AI slop ubiquitous now, the internet feels deader than ever. RIP.

Epstein’s Island

Before the gruesome details of this deeply disturbing case were ever known, there was one Reddit user who clocked it, posting it in a subreddit around 2019. They didn’t so much guess the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein as caught it very early, compiling accusations that started to come out in 2007. We know now that Epstein and his then-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell ran a trafficking ring of underage girls in Little Saint James island, catering to the tastes of billionaire elites. Many people who participated in the activities of the island were well-known public figures, government officials, politicians, and even celebrities. Thanks to the victims who came forward, the journalists who investigated, and Reddit user soupman66, apparently.

Apple Slowing Down Old Phones

Was anyone truly shocked by this? Anyone who has owned an aging iPhone has probably experienced a massive decline in speed and responsiveness. Internet users have long since complained of the phenomenon. On Reddit, some have even posited that Apple was doing it on purpose to encourage people to buy new models, a practice long dubbed Batterygate. Well, now we have proof. In 2017, Apple confirmed they did purposefully slow down old iPhones, although the company claimed it did it to increase the devices’ longevity. Regardless, it led to a class-action lawsuit, and in 2020, the company agreed to settle and has now begun to make payments. Thanks for the gaslighting, Apple.

Which other internet conspiracy on Reddit or elsewhere do you feel could very well be true? Let us know in the comments below!