Apple, Google Cashed in on QDrops App Peddling ‘Pizzagate' Conspiracy Offshoot

Apple removed the QDrops app from its app store Sunday after it was contacted by NBC News

An app that sent alerts about a child sex ring conspiracy theory called QAnon stayed in Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store for months, raising revenue for the conspirators and the tech giants, NBC News reported.

The fringe QAnon conspiracy purports that a secret police task force put assembled by President Donald Trump has arrested world politicians in a murderous child sex ring and forced them to wear ankle bracelets. It's an offshoot of the "pizzagate" fiction and has led to real-world actions, like a follower who blocked an entrance to the Hoover Dam last month.

The 99-cent QDrops app was launched in April and sends alerts when new details about the supposed investigation are posted on the anonymous social media site 4Chan.

QDrops peaked at No. 10 among all paid Apple apps, though Apple removed it from its app store Sunday after it was contacted by NBC News. The app remains live on the Google Play Store; Google has yet to respond to a request for comment.

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