Conspiracy theories linking 5G to COVID-19 have fueled dangerous acts, including vandalism of telecom equipment and threats to workers.
As the UK faced escalating COVID-19 cases, shocking incidents made headlines. The Guardian reported on April 5, 2020, that activists in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Belfast targeted 5G infrastructure. They torched electricity pylons and intimidated telecom staff.
These attacks stem from a persistent online myth: that 5G rollout in Wuhan triggered the coronavirus through new electromagnetic fields, sparking its global spread. While 5G was indeed activated in China by late January 2020, it supported overwhelmed hospitals by enhancing communication capacity during the outbreak.
The UK government is engaging platform leaders from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp to curb misinformation. These sites have long amplified wild claims, from flat Earth theories to pandemic falsehoods, providing fertile ground for conspiracies.
Stephen Powis, National Health Service medical director, dismissed the 5G theory as baseless nonsense—especially amid lockdowns when reliable networks keep people connected at home and support critical emergency services like ambulances, fire departments, and police.
COVID-19 fake news has proven deadly. In late March, around 300 Iranians died after ingesting industrial methanol, misled by social media hoaxes claiming it killed the virus.
