The image shows a scene from an episode broadcast in 2023 that refers to a power outage occurring on a November 17. Conspiracy accounts regularly reuse dates or symbols from the series to announce major events that, each time, do not occur.
Since late September, alarmist messages and videos have claimed that a worldwide blackout would occur on November 17, 2026. According to franceinfo, some of this content has been viewed several million times.
The rumor mixes a real date, official preparedness guidance, and conspiracy theories. It is circulating as cyberattacks hit essential services in several countries.
According to supporters of this claim, as summarized by franceinfo, a worldwide internet outage lasting 90 days would begin on that date. It would have been planned by governments in order to control citizens through artificial intelligence.
An influencer who says he specializes in current events mentions the threat of a cyberattack while also relaying a conspiracy theory linked to November 17. The causes of the announced outage are rarely explained.
The most viral content sometimes uses conditional wording. It does, however, describe at length the supposed consequences: no more communications, no more transportation, and no more access to digital services.
This rumor also relies on verifiable facts. On November 3, the European Union asked citizens to prepare a 72-hour survival kit. Accounts present this communication as a sign of an imminent disaster.
In Portugal, an app was launched to help assemble this kit. In France, a theoretical blackout exercise is being prepared. On social media, these initiatives are cited as so many signs of a planned outage.
On September 26, U.S. authorities announced a test of the national alert system on November 17. According to franceinfo, the FCC and FEMA specified that it is a triennial exercise that requires no response from the public.
According to franceinfo, fearmongers do not hesitate to link November 17 to these disparate elements. The rumor thus feeds on real information and an anxiety-inducing climate, without the viral content demonstrating the existence of a planned worldwide outage.