Skip to main content

Twitter is adding fact-checking labels on tweets that link 5G with the coronavirus

* Twitter has added a fact-checking label to tweets that appear to incorrectly link 5G with the coronavirus. * The label reads: "Get the facts about COVID-19" and links to news articles, official sources, and tweets debunking the theory. * The popular conspiracy theory claims 5G mobile technology is harmful to humans, and has therefore exacerbated the pandemic. * There is no evidence to show 5G radio waves are harmful to humans. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Twitter has started displaying fact-check labels on tweets that appear to incorrectly link 5G mobile technology to the spread of the coronavirus. The label appears beneath such tweets, and reads: "Get the facts on COVID-19". Clicking the label links through to a thread titled: "No, 5G isn't causing coronavirus." The thread links to news articles, tweets, and official sources that debunk the conspiracy theory. Twitter promised it would fact-check coronavirus misinformation earlier in May. While there have long been conspiracy theories that mobile radio waves harm humans, the idea has evolved in 2020 to incorporate the spread of the coronavirus. One popular claim by anti-5G conspiracy theorists claim is that new 5G technology is hurting people's immune systems, thereby making them more susceptible to the coronavirus. However, there is no evidence that radio waves are harmful to humans. The theory has taken such a hold that people have burned 90 cell towers in the UK in protest and assaulted telecoms engineers — the majority of whom were not actually working on installing 5G tech. Ofcom, the UK's communications watchdog, was forced to publish a statement in April confirming that 5G wouldn't hurt people. The conspiracy theory has spread widely on social media. Facebook deactivated two anti-5G groups in early April, and said it would remove stories that wrongly link 5G and the coronavirus. YouTube said it would also remove videos that explicitly link 5G and the virus. Twitter does not seem to be going as far as removing tweets linking 5G and the coronavirus. The company has taken a more aggressive stance on fact-checking tweets in recent weeks, most notably adding fact-check labels in May to two tweets by President Trump that made false claims about mail-in voting. It went on to add a clickthrough block a few days later on another tweet by Trump about the George Floyd protesters which stated that the post violated its policies on "glorifying violence." And on Thursday, the firm removed a video from another tweet sent by Trump about George Floyd, after a copyright complaint. A Twitter spokesperson said: "We're prioritizing the removal of COVID-19 content when it has a call to action that could potentially cause harm. "As we've said previously, we will not take enforcement action on every Tweet that contains incomplete or disputed information about COVID-19. Last month, we announced that we are introducing new labels and warning messages to provide additional context and information on some Tweets containing disputed or misleading information related to COVID-19." SEE ALSO: Here's what we know about the bizarre coronavirus 5G conspiracy theory that is leading people to set cellphone masts on fire Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: How waste is dealt with on the world's largest cruise ship
https://bit.ly/3h69ZAM

Popular posts from this blog

Here's an exclusive look at the pitch deck London fintech Lanistar used to raise $19 million at a $190 million valuation

* London-based fintech startup Lanistar has raised a £15 million ($19 million) funding round from Milaya Capital.  * Founded in 2019, Lanistar is building a personal financial management platform that will launch later in 2020.  * "We're expecting a huge amount of growth upon our launch and have already seen strong interest among our sign ups," Gurhan Kiziloz, founder and CEO of Lanistar, told Business Insider. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.  The coronavirus lockdown in the UK has brought the importance of managing money into sharp relief. A recent study from Money.com shows that 71% of UK households have saved cash during lockdown, and, with uncertainty about jobs and the economy looming, money management is now front of mind for many. Lanistar, a banking platform with a focus on personal finance, is one company offering tools for consumers to better manage their money. It has just raised a £15 million ($19 million) funding round from Mil...
Read more

Tokyo installed see-through public toilets in a park to let people inspect their cleanliness before using them, at which point the glass turns opaque

* Two see-through bathrooms have been installed in public parks in Tokyo. * They are made from "smart glass" designed so people can see how clean they are inside before using them. The glass turns opaque when the bathroom is locked and in use. * The stalls are part of a project that is redoing 17 of the city's public bathrooms with different designers to make them more accessible and appealing. * The goal is to fight assumptions that public toilets are "are dark, dirty, smelly, and scary," said the nonprofit foundation behind the project. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Tokyo has installed two see-through bathroom facilities in public parks, allowing people to see how clean they are before deciding to use them, at which point they turn opaque. The bathrooms are made of colored "smart glass," which turns opaque when the stalls are locked, said Shigeru Ban, the architect behind the designs. You can see how it works her...
Read more

Europe's hot challenger banks risk losing their shine with mounting losses and customer 'flight to safety' during the pandemic

* Three UK challenger banks posted their financial results for 2019 through July and August. * Monzo, Starling Bank, and Revolut showed growth in revenues year-on-year but also mounting losses.  * The trio have won customer loyalty and positive press for sleek app designs and colorful payment cards. * But their financial results and the challenge of COVID-19 raise fresh questions about their long-term viability. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The shine may be rubbing off a key part of Europe's burgeoning fintech market, after three British challenger banks posted mixed full-year financial results for 2019. Monzo, Revolut, and Starling Bank all saw revenue, customers, and deposits go up, in good news for the fast-growing disruptors. But all also posted ballooning losses, with each of the three companies at least doubling their losses in 2019 compared with the previous year.  The additional challenge of COVID-19 may make the prospect of profitabi...
Read more