A new twist on an old conspiracy theory

Kaitaia businesswoman (and now Outdoor Party candidate) Michele Mitcalfe and party president Alan Simmons protesting against 5G at Waitangi in February. Picture / File

"Conspiracy theories" regarding the ill-effects of 5G technology on human (and other life forms') health date back at least to 2017 according to University of Waikato teaching fellow Dr M Dentith, but the convergence of with Covid-19 conspiracy theories, which claimed that 5G was responsible for the virus, or a suppressed immune response to the virus, as a "cover story" for 5G poisoning, was new.

He conceded that not fears regarding all 5G were spurious fears. Some people suspected that the technologies would be used for surveillance purposes, by either the US or China, or that the technology itself was generally insecure. Those worries ought to be taken seriously, he said, given that the US, for example, had long argued for backdoors to be inserted into telecommunication products, and that the vendors of closed systems had a long history of suppressing information about security flaws.

"As such, while we might be sceptical of some 5G conspiracy theories, not all of them are inherently implausible," he said.

"The problem with the intersection of 5G and Covid-19 conspiracy theories is that they confuse correlation with causation.

"The Covid-19 pandemic is occurring almost at the same time as the 5G rollout (although AT&T and Verizon, in the US, claim to have rolled out 5G networks in the US back in December 2018), and thus this vaguely fits claims about 5G causing illnesses or making us more susceptible to them. However, evidence is lacking for a causal link between the two other than mere timing.

"If we were to take this particular conspiracy theory seriously we would need more evidence, and unless we want to think that every government and their health departments or ministries are in on the plot to cover up the dangers of 5G, that evidence is currently lacking."

Professor Ekant Veer, Associate Dean of Postgraduate Research at the University of Canterbury, said conspiracy theories tended to generate greater traction online because of the way in which social media, and people's own sense of self and desire to belong, operated.

Specifically, social media created small groups that confirmed people's own beliefs, and the rhetoric around those groups made people who were part of them feel empowered and more aware of 'reality' that the mainstream, which had been duped into believing that the conspiracy wasn't true.

This creates a powerful narrative that those 'in the know' are superior, and those who doubt the conspiracy are just brainwashed sheep, further making people feel empowered," he said.

"Our social media feeds/friends/followers will reflect our own ideals and our own ways of thinking... This is where problems tend to happen – the reinforcement and confirmation biases in these small groups (echo chambers) lead some to believe that these aren't conspiracies but actual events, and that only they are intelligent enough to see it.

"These social media groups are also usually created in such a manner that encourage avoidance of mainstream media, scientific evidence and the like, because they believe that these sources are all in the pocket of higher powers and lying to the masses. Basically, we have conspiracy stacked upon conspiracy, and those who believe one are typically also ready to believe others. We see this with a high correlation between online engagement in both chemtrail groups and anti-vax movements online.

"These groups allow someone to feel they belong. They give them something to believe in that makes them feel superior. They have very powerful leaders who drive a narrative that this is true, and they dissuade any association with scientists or experts who are usually the only inoculation to such conspiracies. Social media facilitate this all by bringing these groups together and reinforcing these beliefs to the point that they are not just attitudes, but behaviours as well.

"People go on to avoid vaccination, and, potentially, destroy 5G towers.

"What should be further understood is that conspiracy theories are not always perpetuated by people who believe in the conspiracies. There are co-ordinated and easily mobilised online groups who have been known to come together to plant fake ideas into social media networks to try and get others to believe the idea. In this way, a troll may start a conspiracy theory to be mischievous, but this could lead to actual harm down the line.

"If a troll knows where to plant the idea and the type of narratives that are appealing to those in these groups, we could find many people being deceived into believing something because it reinforces their own beliefs, and further reinforced by a large number of people around them. This snowballing effect has been seen with a number of online 'fads' in the past, with some leading to actual harm, even though the initial intention may have only been mischievous."

Kevin Shedlock (Ngāpuhi, Ngati Porou/ Whakatōhea), PhD researcher and assistant lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington's School of Engineering and Computer Science, said the 5G spectrum was an important resource platform for Māori in terms of communicating their language, stories and culture in the digital age.

"The 5G spectrum provides a portal allowing Māori to be involved in industries such as radio broadcasting and mobile technology, both crucial contributors to the digital Māori workforce," he said.

"It also provides Māori with an opportunity to connect and grow their understanding of how 5G data exists within their world, and communicate that knowledge back to iwi and hapū. Having Māori involved with such platforms can also be a positive signal for the technology sector, leading towards more academics and industry leaders showing interest in a space that demands innovative thinking.

"Furthermore, 5G is evidence of the government recognising their responsibility towards building capacity within the confines of the Treaty of Waitangi principles of partnership, participation and protection. However, this allocation is only a partial solution to any long-term rights (such as water and land treaty settlements) being confirmed, part of a complex problem for Māori working with the current government."