Could the January 7 Charlie Hebdo attack have been a secret service operation, or perhaps an anti-Muslim plot? The wildest conspiracy theories found their way onto the Internet within hours of the Paris bloodbath.
Just as it did in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, the rumour machine moved into top gear from the very moment the first reports emerged.
Among the most frequently mentioned is the apparent change in colour of the rearview mirrors of a car used by the Kouachi brothers -- white on an image taken near the Charlie Hebdo office where they killed 12 people and black in a later image of the abandoned vehicle.
Experts put the change down to the fact that the mirrors were made out of chrome, a material that can change colour according to the light.
Other details providing rich material for the conspiracy theorists included the identity card mislaid by one of the Kouachi brothers and the telephone receiver not properly put back on its hook at the supermarket where gunman Amedy Coulibaly killed four people during a hostage siege two days later.
Even the route of the January 11 solidarity march through Paris has been given dubious significance in the minds of some, with claims that it mirrored the outline of Israel's borders.
Official theories too dull
Emmanuel Taieb, a professor at the Sciences-Po Lyon university in central-eastern France and a specialist in conspiracy plots, said that for many the official interpretation of events -- as provided by the police, politicians and analysts -- was simply too dull.
"It is considered poor, disappointing. So it is ruled out or questioned in favour of a more appealing, worrying analysis," he said.
Observers say that young people, for whom the Internet is their main source of information, are particularly vulnerable to believing everything they read online.
Mohamed Tria, 49, a business executive and president of the La Duchere football club in a tough area of Lyon, said the mainstream interpretation of the attacks was far from the norm in some places.
"I met around 40 kids aged between 13 and 15 in my club. I was astounded by what I heard," he said.
"They had not got their information from newspapers, but from social networks, it's the only accessible source for them and they believe what they read there as if it is the truth," he said.
Others said adults now have far less control over what young people opt to believe.
"For 30 years, 90 percent of what children learned came from either their parents or school. Now, it's the other way round. We need education about social networks," a teacher at a roundtable discussion in the northern Paris suburb of Sarcelles said last week.
For Guillaume Brossard, co-founder of the website hoaxbuster.com, a site that allows people to check the validity of information, it is as if the self-expression made possible by the Internet was custom-made for rebellious teenagers.
"Adolescence is a time when one needs to assert oneself and rebel against adults, the established order, society etc... Alternative theories are therefore a wonderful area of self-expression for them," he said.
"The explosion of social networks has seen what would once have been classroom discussions take place on Twitter, Snapchat or Instagram," he added.
Olivier Ertzscheid, a lecturer in information science in the western city of Nantes, noted that established media such as the daily Le Monde responded fairly quickly on social networks with counter-arguments knocking down the various conspiracy theories.
Speed was of the essence if a balanced picture was to emerge, he said.
AFP
Mon Jan 19 2015
Just as it did in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, the rumour machine moved into top gear from the very moment the first reports emerged.
Ringgit extends positive momentum to open higher against US dollar
The ringgit traded higher against the US Dollar in today's early session, driven by continued buying interest towards the local currency.
BHP faces $47 billion UK lawsuit over Brazilian dam collapse
More than 600,000 Brazilians, 46 local governments, and around 2,000 businesses are suing BHP over the collapse of the dam.
Trump hands out french fries in Pennsylvania, Harris visits Georgia churches
Both candidates were scrambling for votes in the most competitive states.
Brazil's Lula cancels BRICS trip after minor brain hemorrhage from fall
Lula "was advised to avoid long-distance air travel but is otherwise able to carry out his regular duties."
Lebanese flee as blasts hit Beirut, Israel warns of strikes on Hezbollah finance arm
On Sunday Israel said it hit Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters and an underground weapons workshop in Beirut.
87 people killed or missing in northern Gaza's Beit Lahiya, health ministry says
A total of 87 people were killed or missing under the rubble after an Israeli attack on Saturday on northern Gaza's town of Beit Lahiya.
Hundreds of colonists storm Al-Aqsa Mosque under heavy Israeli protection
Hundreds of Israeli colonists stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Sunday morning during the fourth day of the Jewish Sukkot festival.
ANALYSIS - What could happen if Trump rejects the US election results
If Trump seems to be losing, the delay could let him claim fraud and undermine confidence in election officials.
Motorcycling - Marquez wins Australian MotoGP after intense battle with Martin
The 31-year-old, third in the championship standings, has now won the Australian MotoGP four times in the premier class.
Prabowo takes up Indonesian presidency, vows to tackle corruption, other issues
Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto on Sunday took over as president of the world's third-largest democracy, vowing to combat internal issues
Nepal's Sherpas deserve more, says teenager who scaled world's 14 tallest peaks
Sherpas are known for climbing skills that make them the backbone of mountain expeditions.
Inside the underground lab in China tasked with solving a physics mystery
China will soon collect neutrino data, aiming to unravel one of particle physics' biggest mysteries.
Millions in Cuba still without power as major outage persists
Millions of Cubans remain without electricity because of a prolonged outage at the main power plants on the island, Anadolu Agency reported.
Surge in Gaza violence increases famine risk, monitor says
About 1.84 million people across the besieged Palestinian enclave are living through high levels of acute food insecurity.
Israel pounds Beirut and Gaza after rockets hit Israel's north
A drone was launched at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's holiday home.
Elon Musk promises to award $1 mil each day to a signer of his petition
He awarded a $1 million check to an attendee of his event in Pennsylvania aimed at rallying supporters behind Donald Trump.
Former special forces commander Prabowo to take up Indonesian presidency
Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto will take over as president of the world's third-largest democracy after sweeping the country's election with policies like free meals for school children
Father of Malaysian Islamic banking, Abdul Halim Ismail passes away
His dedication and pioneering spirit played an important role in shaping the journey of Bank Islam as well as leaving a lasting impact on the development of Malaysia's Islamic finance industry.
Zayn Malik postpones US tour dates after One Direction bandmate Liam Payne's death
Payne, 31, died on Wednesday after falling from a third-floor hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires, shocking fans of the boy band.
Why voters in a handful of swing states will decide the US presidential election
The contest will almost certainly be decided by just tens of thousands of voters a tiny fraction of the populace in a handful of states.