By Ashley Young-
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube have been called to act against content linking 5G to Covid-10. Scientists have branded the conspiracy as “complete rubbish,”as the British government has added its weight against the false criticisms that has led to several 5G towers being torched.
British fact-checking charity Full Fact have rejected the theory by informing the public that there are many countries affected by the disease where 5G infrastructure has not yet been deployed. Iran has been cited as an example of countries that have not rolled out 5G, but are among the hardest-hit countries. On Saturday, British minister Michael Gove labeled the 5G conspiracy theories “dangerous nonsense.” Stephen Powis, national medical director for England, said they were “the worst kind of fake news.”
“I’m absolutely outraged, absolutely disgusted, that people would be taking action against the very infrastructure that we need to respond to this health emergency,” said Powis. “It is absolute and utter rubbish.”A woman was features on a social media platform harassing telecoms engineers laying 5G fiber-optic cables. She challenged the engineers, asking why they were working, insisting that the technology “kills people.
VIDEO FOOTAGE
Video footage circulated online last week showing a mast torched in the English city of Birmingham. EE said its engineers were assessing the cause of the fire, adding it was “likely” arson and that, if so, the firm would work with local police to identify a culprit. The tower was not a 5G mast.
“This site served thousands of people in the Birmingham area, providing vital 2G, 3G and 4G connectivity as it has done for many years,” an EE spokesperson told CNBC. “We will try to restore full coverage as quickly as possible, but the damage caused by the fire is significant.”
CELEBRITY INFLUENCE
Celebrities have also been blamed for their roles in spreading the misinformation. U.K. talent show judge Amanda Holden shared a petition calling for 5G to be banned in a since-deleted tweet, and U.S. actor Woody Harrelson also posted about the conspiracy theory on Instagram, claiming a “lot of my friends have been talking about the negative effects of 5G.”
A woman harassing telecoms engineers laying 5G fiber-optic cables. The woman questions why the engineers are working and claims the technology “kills people.”Actor Woody Harrelson shared a post on Instagram pointing to a link between 5G and the coronavirus pandemic, while British boxer Amir Khan also joined in with a series of live Instagram videos which suggested the disease was “man-made” and has been “put here for a reason, while they test 5G.”
CONDEMNATION
Conspiracy theories claiming 5G technology helps transmit coronavirus have been condemned by the scientific community. According to a report from the BBC, University of Reading associate professor in cellular microbiology Dr Simon Clarke said the idea of a connection between Covid-19 and 5G is “complete rubbish” and biologically impossible.
He added: “The idea that 5G lowers your immune system doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.” The posts spreading the misinformation have come from verified accounts which have hundreds of thousands of followers claiming that mobile phone networks and radio waves are responsible for coronavirus.
Telecoms industry trade body Mobile UK has condemned false rumours and theories linking 5G and coronavirus were “concerning”. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has reiterated there is “absolutely no credible evidence for the link”.
NATIONAL SECURITY
“This is a matter of national security,” he said, adding that theories of links between Covid-19 and 5G networks were “utterly baseless” and pleaded for users to not share them across their social media channels.
In a joint statement from Vodafone, Three, O2 and EE, the telecoms giants said: “Sadly, we have experience cases of vandals setting fire to mobile masts, disrupting critical infrastructure and spreading false information suggestion a connection between 5G and Covid-19 pandemic. There is no scientific evidence of any link between 5G and coronavirus. Fact.”