Sun Apr 05 2020
The spread of coronavirus/5G conspiracy theories on social media has led to the destruction of of mobile phone masts
The UK Government yesterday asked social media platforms, especially Facebook and WhatsApp, to be a lot more aggressive in cracking down on crackpot conspiracy nuts spouting theories of how 5G networks have caused the coronavirus crisis.
The spread of such fake theories or news over the last week or so led to the destruction of mobile phone masts in Birmingham, Belfast and Merseyside as well as the harassment of innocent network engineers just trying to do their job in already difficult circumstances.
Those responsible for criminal acts will face the full force of the law. We must also see social media companies acting responsibly and taking much swifter action to stop nonsense spreading on their platforms which encourages such acts.
It’s been announced that UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden will be holding talks with representatives of various social media firms this week to talk about what can be done to stop this spread of disinformation about both covid-19 and 5G networks.
Other Government Ministers have also commented…
Dangerous Nonsense
And...
The worst kind of fake news
The UK’s phone networks also released a joint statement on Sunday, condemning the ridiculous harassment of their workers and the attacks on mobile masts…
Sadly, we have experienced cases of vandals setting fire to mobile masts, disrupting critical infrastructure and spreading false information suggesting a connection between 5G and the Covid-19 pandemic. There is no scientific evidence of any link between 5G and coronavirus
It should go without saying that the properly working mobile networks are vital during the coronavirus crisis in aiding the NHS and emergency services with constant connectivity as well as the millions stuck at home desperately trying to stay in touch with loved ones.
YouTube announced on Sunday that it would actively remove videos on its platform that links 5G with Covid-19.
There are clear policies that prohibit videos promoting medically unsubstantiated methods to prevent the coronavirus in place of seeking medical treatment
Sun Apr 05 2020