UK News 5G virus conspiracy theory fuelled by coordinated effort involving bot accounts, researchers say

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A conspiracy theory linking 5G technology to the outbreak of the coronavirus is quickly gaining momentum, with celebrities including actor Woody Harrelson promoting the idea. But the theory is also getting a boost from what some researchers say is a coordinated disinformation campaign.

Marc Owen Jones, a researcher at Hamad bin Khalifa University in Qatar, who specialises in online disinformation networks, analysed 22,000 recent interactions on Twitter mentioning “5G” and “corona,” and said he found a large number of accounts displaying what he termed “inauthentic activity.” He said the effort bears some hallmarks of a state-backed campaign.

“There are very strong indications that some of these accounts are a disinformation operation,” Jones said.

Jones said the campaign uses a strategy similar to Russia’s internet Research Agency, which was behind a disinformation campaign during the 2016 US presidential campaign. But he said he has not yet concluded that Russia, or any other government or organisation, is behind the effort.

 
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