As COVID-19 wreaks havoc on society, coronavirus conspiracy theorists are wreaking havoc on 5G cell towers by lighting them on fire or vandalizing them in reaction to their perceived link with the outbreak; in response, Twitter has begun removing publications that provoke people to engage in such dangerous activity.
On Wednesday, Twitter announced that it’s expanding the content that is qualified for removal to include those that link the COVID-19 outbreak with 5G technology and incite dangerous behavior related to this fictional connection.
More specifically, the company states that “We have broadened our guidance on unverified claims that incite people to engage in harmful activity, could lead to the destruction or damage of critical 5G infrastructure, or could lead to widespread panic, social unrest, or large-scale disorder.”
We have broadened our guidance on unverified claims that incite people to engage in harmful activity, could lead to the destruction or damage of critical 5G infrastructure, or could lead to widespread panic, social unrest, or large-scale disorder.
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) April 22, 2020
In terms of widespread panic, social unrest, or large-scale disorder, Twitter states that content that inaccurately claims that there will be a shortage in goods or services and pushes others to buy massive quantities in order to prepare will be more closely controlled and possibly removed if deemed necessary.
This update follows in the footsteps of a series of measures the company has recently taken to reduce the spread of misinformation on the social media platform like verifying the accounts of COVID-19-related accounts, promoting accurate virus information provided by official health organizations and launching a dedicated COVID-19 event page.
