UK Ministers have condemned these theories as dangerous nonsense.
What you need to know
5G conspiracy theories have been popular even before the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic but they've taken a new life since then. Conspiracy theories spuriously linking the two have grown in popularity on YouTube and other platforms, even resulting in threats and assaults aimed at mobile engineers in the UK. Arson attacks have been carried out in an attempt to stop the perceived threat.
There's just one problem. There's no link between 5G and coronavirus. In the words of the UK's Minister of the Cabinet Office, Michael Gove, it's "just nonsense, dangerous nonsense as well."
YouTube is now taking a stand against these videos. The video-sharing service will no longer permit videos that link coronavirus and 5G together, opting to now remove them instead of its previous laissez-faire stance. It'll still allow 5G conspiracy theories, but just not those that link it to COVID-19.
"We also have clear policies that prohibit videos promoting medically unsubstantiated methods to prevent the coronavirus in place of seeking medical treatment, and we quickly remove videos violating these policies when flagged to us," a YouTube spokesperson told , "We have also begun reducing recommendations of borderline content such as conspiracy theories related to 5G and coronavirus, that could misinform users in harmful ways."
When asked to respond to the theory, the National Medical Director of NHS England, Professor Stephen Powis condemned it in the strongest terms (via ) said:
What you need to know
- Conspiracy theories linking 5G and COVID-19 have spread like wildfire on YouTube and other social platforms.
- Google will now remove all conspiracy videos drawing a link between the two.
- These videos have resulted in threats of assault and acts of arson against moile engineers.
5G conspiracy theories have been popular even before the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic but they've taken a new life since then. Conspiracy theories spuriously linking the two have grown in popularity on YouTube and other platforms, even resulting in threats and assaults aimed at mobile engineers in the UK. Arson attacks have been carried out in an attempt to stop the perceived threat.
There's just one problem. There's no link between 5G and coronavirus. In the words of the UK's Minister of the Cabinet Office, Michael Gove, it's "just nonsense, dangerous nonsense as well."
YouTube is now taking a stand against these videos. The video-sharing service will no longer permit videos that link coronavirus and 5G together, opting to now remove them instead of its previous laissez-faire stance. It'll still allow 5G conspiracy theories, but just not those that link it to COVID-19.
"We also have clear policies that prohibit videos promoting medically unsubstantiated methods to prevent the coronavirus in place of seeking medical treatment, and we quickly remove videos violating these policies when flagged to us," a YouTube spokesperson told , "We have also begun reducing recommendations of borderline content such as conspiracy theories related to 5G and coronavirus, that could misinform users in harmful ways."
When asked to respond to the theory, the National Medical Director of NHS England, Professor Stephen Powis condemned it in the strongest terms (via ) said: