Tech giants urged to halt 5G conspiracy theories

TECH giants face calls from ministers to halt the spread of “crazed conspiracy theories” about 5G after phone masts were set alight and telecoms engineers abused by people peddling “nonsense” linking the technology to Covid-19.

Oliver Dowden, the Digital and Culture Secretary, will ask social media firms to crack down on misinformation fuelling “criminal behaviour” as the NHS warned activists were targeting masts used by emergency services.

Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, described conspiracy theories blaming 5G masts for the spread of Covid-19 as “dangerous nonsense”.

The intervention came after masts in Birmingham and Liverpool were feared to have been targeted by arsonists inspired by social media videos showing 5G towers on fire and urging people to destroy the technology.

A senior Whitehall official said: “This criminal behaviour based on crazed conspiracy theories peddled on social media puts lives at risk. This needs to stop and we are calling on tech firms to take more action to [stop] this kind of nonsense spreading on platforms.”

Whitehall sources said the theories were being mainly spread on WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned app.

Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, said: “The 5G story is complete and utter rubbish.

“Those are the networks used by our emergency services and health workers and I am absolutely outraged, that people would be taking action against the very infrastructure that we need to respond to this health emergency.”

No one from Facebook was available for comment.