Conspiracy theories about the coronavirus are among us
17.03.2020
There is still a great deal of uncertainty and ignorance around the coronavirus, which gives impetus to all sorts of conspiracy theories, and a large amount of false information is also spread due to excessive anxiety.
Õhtuleht and Delfi wrote in February about worldwide news and conspiracy theories on the coronavirus. Propastop looked at suspicious materials distributed in Estonia.
The first and most widespread conspiracy theory is about the relationship between the high-speed data 5G and the coronavirus. 5G, as an innovative technology has also independently gathered all sorts of conspiracy theories. This has also opened up the possibility of investigating the development and spread of coronavirus.
Since both topics are incomprehensible to the average person, conspiracy theories on them are also rapidly spreading.
The next conspiracy theory, which is even more strongly affirmed, speaks of the coronavirus as a biological weapon that has been freed because of an accident.
Such a theory has been recognized by Facebook fact checkers as false news and has begun to limit its spread, which in turn has led to public outrage.
Facebook fact controllers have limited fake news spreading in Estonia, for example, the story that Pope Francis has been infected with the coronavirus, and that the US Health Board is advising men to remove beards as a precaution against coronavirus.
A separate topic is Estonia’s „behind the corner” publications, which by clicking will open scandalous articles related to coronavirus from all sorts of foreign publications, which unfortunately very often get shared on Social Media. FB users include such papers as eestinen.fi, vanglaplaneet.ee, as well as lõunaeestlane.ee.
Fortunately, however not all has been lost and Facebook’s moderators and fact checkers have been able to control a number of common conspiracy theories that have now been automatically restricted by the environment.
You may also find calls by environmental users for fake news and spam news not to be shared.