The fifth generation of wireless telecommunications technology – meaning 5G has the ability to do many things. It promises better connections, broader internet connectivity and a further boom in the creation of apps. The switch to 5G could change where you’re working, how you’re visiting the doctor and how you’re playing video games. It’s also one of the driving forces in the developing cold technological war between the US and China. A global internet conspiracy theory has tried to link 5G mobile phone technology as one of the causes of coronavirus, “the Federal Communications Commission said in an official statement. Unlike dark cabals and supernatural powers, there is a clear challenge to the 5G-coronavirus plot. The 5G network is composed of easy-to-identify and control content infrastructures. Vandalism actions against phone masts and antennas reflect the prospect of having some power over disturbing incidents for those who think they know the facts. The World Health Organization has called this a “infodemic” condition Pressure now mounts on social media companies to limit the flood of misinformation. Events like the attacks on 5G masts provide a barometer for assessing levels of trust in leadership and expertise. The task for governments and the media would be to demonstrate restored levels of transparency and unity to restore public confidence, rather than feeding the demand for alternative truths.
