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I was shot at Bondi. Then the algorithm turned my attack into fodder for conspiracy theorists

theaustralian.com.au

A Bondi attack survivor watched online algorithms turn her real trauma into conspiracy-theory content — raising hard questions about how platforms profit from doubt.

Infodemic TheoryAlgorithmic AmplificationCrisis Actor ConspiracyVictimhood Denial

Theory Briefing

  • A survivor of the Bondi attack describes being recast online as a crisis actor, erasing her lived experience entirely.
  • Algorithms amplified conspiracy content about the attack to global audiences, turning a real victim into a viral talking point.
  • The piece exposes how platforms can reward doubt and denial with reach, regardless of the human cost to those involved.
  • The survivor frames this not just as misinformation but as a second violation — her identity and trauma stripped away by strangers.