Many myths about Masonry have taken hold in the imagination of "conspiracy buffs.” This may be because Freemasons, like government intelligence agencies and big business, often allow the uninitiated to argue amongst themselves so that the truth remains private. In recent years, Masonic organizations worldwide have made efforts to address these myths and better address their critics.

Some of the most common Masonic “fictions” are addressed below:
 

fiction: masons are conspiring to rule the world
Freemasonry has been a long-time target of conspiracy theories, which see it as an occult and evil power — often associated with the New World Order and other "agents," such as the Pope, the Illuminati and Jews — either bent on world domination, control of world politics, or covert political activities. This assumption has been influenced by the assertion of Masons that many political figures in the past 300 years have been members of the fraternity.

These theories would be possible to apply to almost any secret society (since a society with secret meetings allows secret coordination, the very essence of a conspiracy). Nevertheless, Masons have been the largest target because of their size and notable membership.

The historical complaints that the Masons have secretly plotted to create a society based on their ideals of liberty, equality, fraternity, and religious tolerance, are not denied by Masons. In an enlightened age many have now accepted the core Masonic values as stated. Additionally, freemasonry is almost universally banned in totalitarian states. In 1925, it was outlawed in Fascist Italy. In Nazi Germany, Freemasons were sent to concentration camps and all Masonic Lodges were ordered shut down.