Coronavirus: Violence feared as 5G conspiracy theories reach US – ABC
- US law enforcement officials have expressed their concerns about a possible rise in violence caused by conspiracy theories that claim 5G cellular network is linked to the spread of COVID-19.
- In an intelligence report obtained by ABC News, the US Department of Homeland security said that the threats “probably will increase as the disease continues to spread” and warned that there could also be “violence against telecommunications workers.”
- A joint intelligence bulletin also concluded that there have been several attacks on 5G cell towers in some US states already, including Tennessee and Oregon.
- The 5G conspiracy theory, which claims that the rollout of faster 5G internet is either causing or accelerating the spread of the coronavirus, has picked up steam during the coronavirus pandemic.
- The conspiracy theory began to gain traction in the UK in late March and early April. It has since seen more than 70 arson attacks on phone masts around the country.
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US law enforcement officials are concerned that the conspiracy theories linking the spread of COVID-19 to the expansion of the 5G cellular network could result in arson and even physical violence against telecom workers.
The unfounded theory has apparently made its way from the UK, which has seen more than 70 arson attacks on phone masts.
An intelligence report obtained by ABC News from the US Department of Homeland security said: “We assess conspiracy theories linking the spread of COVID-19 to the expansion of the 5G cellular network are inciting attacks against the communications infrastructure globally and that these threats probably will increase as the disease continues to spread, including calls for violence against telecommunications workers.”
“Violent extremists have drawn from misinformation campaigns online that claim wireless infrastructure is deleterious to human health and helps spread COVID-19, resulting in a global effort by like-minded individuals to share operational guidance and justification for conducting attacks against 5G infrastructure, some of which have already prompted arson and physical attacks against cell towers in several US states,” it continued.
The report, published on May 13, has been distributed to law enforcement agencies around the country.
A joint intelligence bulletin issued by the FBI, DHS, and the National Counterterrorism Center, also revealed that there have already been 5G-related attacks in several states.
“Since December 2019, unidentified actors conducted at least five arson incidents targeting cell towers in Memphis, Tenn., that resulted in more than $100,000 in damages,” the DHS reports say, according to ABC News.
“Additionally, 14 cell towers in western Tennessee, between February and April, were purposely turned off by way of disabling their electrical breakers. In April, arsonists set fire to a major cell tower in Portland, Ore., damaging electrical components at the base of the structure,” the bulletin said.
Videos have also been posted on social media groups, showing people how to damage or destroy cell towers. Some posts are also “encouraging individuals associated with anarchist extremist ideology to commit acts of sabotage by attacking buildings and 5G towers around the world…” the bulleting added.
5G is the next generation of mobile broadband, which will offer faster speeds than 4G or 3G, and is currently being rolled out in different countries. The 5G conspiracy theory has been around since at least 2019 but appears to have picked up steam during the coronavirus pandemic.
Conspiracy theorists believe that the rollout of faster 5G internet is either causing or accelerating the spread of the virus — a claim which has been debunked.
Incidents have not only been reported in the UK, but in other countries including Australia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, according to the documents obtained by ABC News.
There is no evidence that 5G — or any other kind of radio waves — are harmful to human health, and multiple organizations, including the international radiation watchdog ICNIRP, have confirmed it is safe.
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