--- title: "Coronavirus Conspiracy Theorists Are Setting 5G Towers on Fire" description: "At least three 5G wireless communication towers have been set on fire in the UK. Videos claim the network is spreading the coronavirus." date: "2020-04-06" modified: "2020-04-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/coronavirus-conspiracy-theorists-setting-5g-towers-fire" categories: - "Future Society" - "Health & Medicine" - "Medical" - "Pathogens" - "Viruses" tags: - "5G" - "conspiracy theories" - "coronavirus" - "covid-19" - "the digest" - "virus" --- # Coronavirus Conspiracy Theorists Are Setting 5G Towers on Fire ![]() *\Image: Images via Pixabay/Victor Tangermann\* ## 5G Virus At least three 5G wireless communication towers have been set on fire in three British cities, [according to the *BBC*]() — as discredited conspiracy theories spread on social media claiming there's a link between the technology and the coronavirus outbreak. UK cabinet office minister Michael Gove called the conspiracy theories "nonsense, dangerous nonsense as well" during a government briefing, as quoted by the *BBC*. ## Towering Fury According to [videos]() uploaded to social media, workers putting up 5G infrastructure were even getting harassed by conspiracy nuts on the streets. In Birmingham, a tower not even capable of providing 5G services was still set on fire,[ *The Verge* reports](). "This is now a matter of national security," Vodafone UK CEO Nick Jeffery wrote in [a statement](). "Police and counter terrorism authorities are investigating." ## Cocaine Cure Misleading information and conspiracy theories have abounded online during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, many claiming that home remedies — and illegal drugs — could magically give them immunity. One theory even claimed that cocaine protects you against the coronavirus — a fact that [had to be refuted]() by the French ministry of health on Twitter last month. **READ MORE:** [British 5G towers are being set on fire because of coronavirus conspiracy theories]() \[*The Verge*\] **More on conspiracy theories:** *[French Government: No, Cocaine Doesn’t Cure Coronavirus]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()