HN Theater @HNTheaterMonth

RT.com has run a story calling these 5G coronavirus links "baseless conspiracy theories" [0]. In another story they say the same thing, and talk about "expert scientific studies repeatedly concluding that the high-speed communications system does not pose a threat to humans" [-1].

This is interesting because RT.com in 2018 and 2019 was one of the major source of baseless anti-5G health stories. Examples:

• 5G Wireless: A Dangerous 'Experiment on Humanity' [1]

• Could 5G put more kids at risk for cancer? [2]

• How To Survive Dangers of 5G [3]

• Cancer risk? 5G wireless speeds could be dangerous [4]

• ‘Totally insane’: Telecomm Industry ignores 5G dangers [5]

RT.com videos on YouTube average over 1 million viewers per day, which is higher than any actual news outlet, and their claims are then repeated by many blogs and social media sites and other websites and then others pick it up from there, often losing the attribution to RT.com along the way so [6].

I wonder what caused RT.com's apparent flip on 5G?

[-1] https://www.rt.com/sport/484967-coronavirus-5g-amir-khan/

[0] https://www.rt.com/uk/484877-5g-coronavirus-conspiracies-moc...

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_f9gpg4t6c

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpXEyP0WMrk

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO1gZhwqCvI

[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmLwuM0_MJg

[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML7wx_5n2z8

[6] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/12/science/5g-phone-safety-h...

Some of the fear of 5G is driven by Russia. RT has run several segments about it. Here are some:

5G Wireless: A Dangerous 'Experiment on Humanity' [1]

Could 5G put more kids at risk for cancer? [2]

How To Survive Dangers of 5G [3]

Cancer risk? 5G wireless speeds could be dangerous [4]

‘Totally insane’: Telecomm Industry ignores 5G dangers [5]

According to the New York Times, citing a declassified U.S. intelligence report from early 2017, RT videos on YouTube average 1 million viewers per day, and that is the highest among news outlets. They also say that lots of blogs and websites are picking up RTs claims and repeating them, without mentioning where they came from.

Here's a Times story on this: "Your 5G Phone Won’t Hurt You. But Russia Wants You to Think Otherwise" [6]

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_f9gpg4t6c

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpXEyP0WMrk

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO1gZhwqCvI

[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmLwuM0_MJg

[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML7wx_5n2z8

[6] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/12/science/5g-phone-safety-h...

⬐ m12k

I can't see any way Russia benefits from the 5G hysteria directly. So I wonder if they use this as a way to screen for impressionable people in the West that they can then later use for spreading more 'useful' misinformation?

⬐ proverbialbunny

It's possible Russia is doing it to give China a leg up.

⬐ jorblumesea

Really? You can't see how Russia benefits from sowing disinformation and confusion about a possible next-gen technology? One that has the possibility of adding hundreds of billions of dollars and high skilled jobs to the US workforce?

⬐ m12k

I just finished the NYT article and it claims the move is because Russia doesn't have a 5G play, so they try to undermine everyone else's. I guess that might hold some credence.

⬐ jorblumesea

Even if they did have a play, they'd be smart to sow disinformation and slow down or stop adoption of next-gen technologies, as those represent huge economic boons and advantages to the countries that adopt them first.

Similar to 4G, the first to 5G will create companies and startups taking advantage of the new infrastructure. As countries onboard onto 5G, these well placed companies will out compete any native companies. This is what happened with 4G in the US, and why US tech has dominated the space in the past decade.

Russia's goal is to weaken the West in any way it can.

⬐ cryptoz

You and I are both presumably smart people, as are the other people commenting here. But what are we doing with our time? Talking about what possible motivation Russia would have for this, or other disinformation projects they do.

But this very conversation is their goal. They are actively reducing US productive work output and general happiness as a major goal. Rather than talk about useful technology or ways to improve the world, many of the smart and capable people in the US are now talking about if 5G is actually dangerous or not.

Mission accomplished.

We could move on and do other things, I think, to win this war.

⬐ cryptoz

Russia benefits from all its disinformation projects directly each time the US is distracted or wastes time discussing Russia's talking points. That is one direct negative ongoing consequence from the 5G scare propaganda.

⬐ Joeri

I’m reminded of the way the galactic empire in the foundation series descended into deliberate ignorance, with people actively turning their backs on technology, even while relying on it.

Anyone up for starting the church of 5G and sending out priests to install cell towers?

⬐ madengr

Well, I do RF for a living, and have designed some mmWave transceivers. Time to grow a long beard and through on a robe. I just need a chair that levitates.

⬐ TaylorAlexander

Wait you work in RF and don’t have a beard? Is that allowed!? :)

⬐ grahamburger

This is basically my day job.

⬐ TwelveNights

Nucleics gave the people so much more than what 5G gives to us. I would imagine that it would be very difficult to impress anyone with the advantages it brings, versus being able to levitate and emit light.