When a young British man disappeared while vacationing on the Spanish island of Tenerife in mid-June, a familiar routine unfolded: search and rescue workers combing through the landscape, regular updates from tearful family members, a steady drumbeat of unconfirmed reports that he had been spotted.
“There’s a small minority that believes and engages with these things,” said Aleksandra Cichocka, a professor of political psychology at the University of Kent. “But they can be really disturbing to the family and the whole process of the investigation.” Spain’s Civil Guard has confirmed few details about the case. Over the weekend, before calling off the search, they asked for volunteers with experience on rough terrain, British news media reported.The search has unfolded against a frenzied backdrop of attention from British news outlets and impromptu groups of conspiracy thinkers.
Administrators of one group who said they were in touch with the family criticised the spread of conspiracies on platforms like TikTok.