5G-Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories Force British Government Intervention

A recent report from the BBC has confirmed that Oliver Dowden, the United Kingdom’s Culture Secretary, plans to hold a meeting with notable people from various social media outfits in a bid to improve their response to the conspiracy theories. This will most likely be an especially hot-button issue, as the topic of censorship and content moderation on social media platforms has always drawn massive scrutiny from experts.

5G-Coronavirus Theory Blows Up in the Face of Panic

This issue is an especially important one, considering how sensitive it is in these times. The theory purportedly explains that the radiation levels emitted by 5G cell towers are so high that they’re degrading human cells and leading to several ailments — including the Coronavirus. The theory also takes additional credibility from the fact that the virus originated from China — the only country that has made significant progress with the 5G technology. Of course, what none of these theorists point out is that a virus as contagious as COVID-19 will naturally spread in densely-populated cities. There’s also the argument for countries like Japan and Iran. These countries are both suffering from the COVID-19 virus but haven’t deployed any 5G infrastructure. Last week, the rumor picked up more steam, as it managed to circulate across social media and cause massive panic. Popular actor Woody Harrelson shared a post on his Instagram account about the ‘negative effects of 5G‘ and its supposed role in fueling the pandemic. The post explained that the 5G radiation is fueling the spread of the virus, and while Harrelson himself explained that he hadn’t vetted the information, he shared it nonetheless to his two million-plus followers. As the infection and death tolls continue to rise and people get more paranoid over the forced lockdown, they’ve been on the hunt for a way of expressing their paranoia, and panic has always worked out the best for them.

Mobile Phone Carriers Suffer the Most

Sadly, the telecoms companies deploying the 5G infrastructure are the ones suffering the most. Just last week, 5G towers in Liverpool, Merling, and Birmingham were reportedly pulled down and burned amid the 5G conspiracy theory, per the BBC report. The news medium also confirmed that there had been four similar incidents at Vodafone cell towers across the country. The one in Birmingham didn’t even provide 5G internet but was vandalized nonetheless. There’s currently no scientific evidence that ties 5G with the novel virus. Full Fact, an independent fact-checking organization, explored the claims after a tabloid ran the story. It found that while 5G uses a higher frequency of radio waves than other connection technologies, the radiation levels are below the set international guidelines and not harmful to the human body.