As the coronavirus - or to be precise Covid-19 - spreads around the world, getting accurate information about the disease becomes ever more important.
And in the social media age, that puts a heavy responsibility on the likes of Facebook and YouTube.
These are the platforms that billions now rely on for news and they are already providing fertile territory for those wanting to spread misinformation. On Facebook, it is in groups opposing vaccines and those campaigning against 5G mobile phone networks that scare stories appear most likely to take hold.
I've scanned a number of the 5G groups, and found plenty of comments suggesting there is a link between the virus and the new networks. The Stop 5G UK group has more than 27,000 members, one of whom has posted this: "I've heard it's not a serious "Virus", it's about as bad as a flu or cold. So really this is a perfect plan to cover up EMF/5G related illnesses."
Scroll down, and others have shared links to websites and videos connecting the coronavirus to the rollout of 5G in the part of China where it originated. "5G launches in Wuhan weeks before Coronavirus outbreak" reads the headline on an article in a publication called the News Commenter.
A YouTube video with the title "WUHAN CORONA VIRUS IS A 5G L.E.D SMART STREET LIGHT TEST BED" is also popular in this group and others. Other YouTube videos share complex conspiracy theories including a suggestion that the Diamond Princess cruise ship whose passengers had to be quarantined was affected by the virus because it used 5G technology for its connectivity.
Misinformation or Disinformation
Dictionary.com defines misinformation as “false information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead.” And it describes disinformation as “deliberately misleading or biased information; manipulated narrative or facts; propaganda.”