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5G coronavirus conspiracy theory is dangerous fake nonsense, UK says


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5G coronavirus conspiracy theory is dangerous fake nonsense, UK says

By Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton

 

2020-04-04T191447Z_4_LYNXMPEG330J1_RTROPTP_4_BRITAIN-USA-HUAWEI.JPG

Pedestrians walk past an advertisement promoting the 5G data network at a mobile phone store in London, Britain, January 28, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville

 

LONDON (Reuters) - A conspiracy theory that links 5G mobile telecommunications masts to the spread of the novel coronavirus is dangerous fake news and completely false, Britain said on Saturday after masts in several parts of the country were torched.

 

When asked by a reporter about the so called "theory" that 5G telecommunications masts could play a role in the spread of the disease, British Cabinet Officer Minister Michael Gove said: "That is just nonsense, dangerous nonsense as well."

 

Mobile phone masts have in recent days been vandalised and telecoms staff abused in Birmingham in central England and Merseyside in northern England, damaging connectivity at a time when people are relying on it more than ever.

 

An arson attack at a tower in Birmingham owned by BT <BT.L>, Britain's biggest telecoms company, caused significant damage. It provided 2G, 3G and 4G services to thousands of people, but did not have 5G capability, the company said.

 

NHS England's national medical director, Stephen Powis, said the 5G conspiracy idea was fake news with no scientific backing that risked damaging the emergency response to the outbreak.

 

"The 5G story is complete and utter rubbish, it's nonsense, it's the worst kind of fake news," Powis said. "The reality is that the mobile phone networks are absolutely critical to all of us."

 

"Those are also the phone networks that are used by our emergency services and our health workers and I'm absolutely outraged, absolutely disgusted that people would be taking action against the very infrastructure that we need to respond to this health emergency," Powis said.

 

A lobby group for the United Kingdom's mobile operators - including EE, O2, Vodafone and Three - said it was aware of the false rumours linking 5G to the outbreak, and that telecoms staff had been threatened.

 

Vodafone, the world's second largest mobile operator, said the attacks were now a matter of national security.

 

"It beggars belief that some people should want to harm the very networks that are providing essential connectivity to the emergency services, the NHS, and rest of the country during this difficult lockdown period," UK boss Nick Jeffery said.

 

He described his engineers as heroes and urged people not to spread the "utterly baseless" stories online.

 

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton, Editing by Christina Fincher)

 

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-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-05
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Just now, englishoak said:

 

Plenty of scientists are religious people and plenty of religious people are scientists...an opinion of one subject does nothing to discredit an expertise in another. 

Someone who believes in a sky fairy(without any proof) automatically discredits themselves.

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2 minutes ago, MaiDong said:

Someone who believes in a sky fairy(without any proof) automatically discredits themselves.

 

You discredit yourself the moment you "believe" to know it dosnt exist. Can you prove the sky fairy dosnt exist ? no you cant. See how religious opinion works ? 

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2 minutes ago, englishoak said:

 

You discredit yourself the moment you "believe" to know it dosnt exist. Can you prove the sky fairy dosnt exist ? no you cant. See how religious opinion works ? 

I base my opinions and beliefs on things that have been proven through science.

This thread is going to get closed soon, thankfully.

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3 minutes ago, MaiDong said:

I base my opinions and beliefs on things that have been proven through science.

This thread is going to get closed soon, thankfully.

You seem to have garnered a fantastic 'popularity' to 'postings' ratio based on your opinions and beliefs.

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Just now, MaiDong said:

I base my opinions and beliefs on things that have been proven through science.

This thread is going to get closed soon, thankfully.

 

It is still belief and your opinion matters no more than anyone elses. Science btw never "proves" anything. 

 

Why would the thread be closed, to appease you ?  

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3 minutes ago, englishoak said:

 

It is still belief and your opinion matters no more than anyone elses. Science btw never "proves" anything. 

 

Why would the thread be closed, to appease you ?  

It might be closed for the same reason the other 5G thread was closed half an hour ago.

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Just now, englishoak said:

 

You clearly have a problem with beliefs you do not subscribe to... thats all your problem not mine or anyone elses ... I prefer to let others believe what they will, it dosnt threaten me as it seems to you.

It doesn't threaten me, bit of an odd assumption you made there, I just find religion a bit pathetic.

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7 minutes ago, englishoak said:

Can you prove that ? :whistling:

Funnily enough, no I can't, I can however correct myself - it was a thread about China having the vaccine, I stand corrected, but it was the reason for closure that resonated the most;

 

CLOSED. 

 

We really dont need this kind of topic or speculation at this time.

 

 

Do not post news or any form of content, including video, audio, images, social media posts that contains messages that may cause people to be afraid or intentionally distort information, causing misunderstanding during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

Any posts or topics which our moderation team deems to be scaremongering, deliberately misleading or has been posted to deliberately distort information will be removed without warning. You may also be subject to a posting suspension or have your profile permanently suspended from the site. 

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