British 5G towers are set on fire due to coronavirus conspiracy theories

5G phone masts are set on fire in the UK after online conspiracy theories have misleadingly linked the cell towers to the coronavirus pandemic. The BBC reports that at least three 5G towers were set on fire last week and the police and fire departments were called to put out the flames.

Rumors and conspiracy theories about a link between the rollout of 5G and the spread of coronavirus have been spread mainly through social media networks. Several groups exist on Facebook and Nextdoor, where thousands of members repeat false and misleading claims that 5G is allegedly harmful.

One theory claims that the new coronavirus originated in Wuhan because the Chinese city had recently rolled out 5G. It is now believed to have spread to other cities that also use 5G. These false conspiracy theories fail to mention that a highly contagious virus would naturally spread more in densely populated cities with access to 5G, and that the coronavirus pandemic has hit provinces such as Iran and Japan where 5G is not yet in use.

There is no scientific evidence linking the coronavirus pandemic to 5G, and no immediate negative health effects to 5G. Full Fact, an independent fact that controls charity in the UK, investigated the claims after a British tabloid newspaper recently exposed them. 5G uses a higher frequency of radio waves than 4G or 3G, however regulators in the UK have registered 5G electromagnetic radiation levels far below international guidelines.

However, this has not prevented these wild conspiracy theories from spreading. Some people are even harass workers laying fiber optic cables for 5G installations, claiming that turning on 5G will “kill anyone”.

Mobile networks are classified as critical national infrastructure in the UK, but one Facebook group was created specifically to encourage people to burn 5G towers. Peter Clarke, an expert on mobile network infrastructure in the UK, the group reported to Facebook but the company was unable to remove it initially. After an increase in attention, the group has since been removed, but many others are still available with false information, and thousands of people are encouraging others to burn down 5G towers.

British regulator Ofcom too Uckfield FM warned, a community radio station, this week for showing someone with “potentially harmful statements about the coronavirus”. A guest, identified as a “registered nurse”, appeared in a 20-minute segment in February, claiming 5G sucks oxygen from people’s lungs. The segment also spread the falsehood that 5G and coronavirus are linked. Clips from the radio show have since been widely shared on Facebook.

Like many conspiracy theories and disinformation campaigns, Russia may be at the center of 5G health anxiety. While a large number of Facebook groups have recently fueled these theories, one New York Times report warned last year that Russian disinformation campaigns were actively using 5G health fears. RT America, a Russian government-funded TV network, broadcast a report more than a year ago when an RT reporter claimed that 5G “could kill you”.

These are the kinds of nonsensical warnings we are starting to see on Facebook right now, and they convince clearly enough to get some to damage vital national infrastructure. All this is happening just as the UK and many countries around the world are fighting the coronavirus pandemic. While medical professionals are fighting a highly contagious virus, telecom workers and social media networks must fight an equally destructive viral spread of stupidity online.