This paper examines how alt-tech platforms, particularly Rumble, reconfigure conspiracy culture. While mainstream social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook have influenced the visibility and circulation of conspiracy theories, increasing content moderation has led to the migration of creators to alternative platforms that promote unrestricted speech. Through a six-month digital ethnography of a right-wing conspiracy theory channel that transitioned from YouTube to Rumble, this study analyzes how platform affordances and ideological commitments shape conspiracy narratives. Findings reveal that Rumble fosters a distinct conspiratorial discourse characterized by (1) amateur aesthetics and (2) rhizomatic, open-ended narratives, conceptualized as a "stream of paranoid consciousness." This format, enabled by Rumble’s free speech absolutism, encourages a fluid and immersive mode of engagement that disrupts traditional narrative closure. Unlike the structured, episodic storytelling often found in mainstream media, conspiracy content on Rumble embraces ongoing uncertainty, fostering a participatory distrust loop among viewers. These aesthetic and discursive transformations echo historical right-wing media practices, particularly the interactive, unscripted style of 1990s talk radio. By demonstrating how alt-tech platforms cultivate a distinct conspiratorial culture, this paper contributes to broader discussions on platform governance, media infrastructures, and digital counter-publics. Rather than merely hosting content rejected by mainstream platforms, Rumble actively reshapes the production and reception of conspiracy theories, illustrating the profound role of platform infrastructures and values in structuring public discourse and normalizing forms of extreme speech.
