Man jailed for 5G phone mast arson attack

A man in the UK who thought 5G technology was linked to Coronavirus has been jailed for an arson attack on a phone mast.

Michael Whitty, 47, set fire to the mast’s equipment box in Kirkby, north-west England, after reading erroneous internet claims about the virus, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Theories claiming that 5G technology helps to transmit coronavirus have been widely condemned by the scientific community.

Attacks on 5G masts pre-date the coronavirus pandemic. But there are concerns that a surge in the amount of vandalism has been caused by conspiracy theories which falsely claim the deployment of 5G networks has caused, or helped accelerate, the spread of COVID-19.

Source: bbc.com