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Conspiracy theorists are blaming the coronavirus on 5G mobile technology with no evidence for their claims.
Users on Facebook and YouTube have shared posts and made videos which have been collectively watched and shared by thousands of people.
In one prominent anti-5G Facebook group called ‘Stop5G’, which has more than 26,000 members, several posts incorrectly linking 5g and coronavirus have been shared by hundreds of people, including the founder of the group, Dutch ‘UFO researcher’ John Kuhles.
Members of another group called ‘STOP 5G U.K’ have even suggested the recent coronavirus outbreak in Italy is linked to the fact that 5G has been rolled out there.
Though fact-checking services like Full Fact debunked the conspiracy theories weeks ago, they continue to circulate on social media.
The theory centers on the fact that Wuhan was the first city in China to receive 5G (it wasn’t just Wuhan), that 5G damages the immune system (there is no evidence to suggest it can) and that COVID-19 is just a more virulent version of a cold (it isn’t – its genome has already been sequenced).
Some of the theories also blame vaccines given to Chinese citizen last year.
Scientists think that COVID-19 was transferred to humans from animals in a meat market in Wuhan, though scientists are racing to find the exact animal carrier.
Facebook has previously labelled some of the misinformation as inaccurate, but as the virus continues to spread around the world, unlabelled posts erroneously linking it to 5G technology have proliferated.
At the time of publication, these posts still remain online and with no tag to indicate they are misinformation.
Many of the posts also link to YouTube conspiracy theorists, where videos have accumulated hundreds of thousands of views.
Some of the most prominent videos also recommend alternative medical treatments in their video descriptions, with affiliate codes to give viewers discounts.
Affiliate links and codes often make money for the person promoting them, and are common for conspiracy theorists.
Related videos made by YouTube conspiracy theorists also often cover related topics such as aliens, the Illuminati and US government medical experiments.
In a blog post last month, Facebook claimed to be ‘working to limit the spread of misinformation and harmful content about the virus’, as well as ‘connecting people to helpful information policy.’
At the time of publication, these posts still remain online and with no clear misinformation labelling or links to outside information.
Facebook has been contacted for comment.
YouTube also claims its policy is to not ‘allow spam, scams, or other deceptive practices that take advantage of the YouTube community.’
Despite this, video links remain to affiliate sites – from which YouTubers often make a profit.
YouTube has been contacted for comment.
Conspiracy theories about coronavirus have recently proliferated online, with online users attacking Chinese state media and US officials saying that the conspiracy theories were promoted by coordinated accounts linked to Russia.
The current outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first reported in Wuhan, China, at the end of last year.
The virus, which causes severe lung disease, has spread to 27 countries including the UK and infected thousands.
5G, or 5th generation, mobile technology has begun to roll out across the UK, despite opposition from vocal protest groups at radiation levels.
UK communications regulator OFCOM recently announced that radiation levels are at “tiny fractions” of safe limits.
Yet internet conspiracy theories claiming that 5G can cause cancer, infertility, autism and Alzheimer’s and, now, coronavirus, have boomed.
Have you seen examples of coronavirus and 5G misinformation online?
Send your tips to Alex.Wilkins@metro.co.uk.
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