Posts falsely link 5G to heatwaves in Europe - AFP Fact Check
factcheck.afp.com
Record-breaking European heatwaves are being blamed on 5G towers online — but what makes a debunked tech conspiracy spread fastest when temperatures peak?
Conspiracy TheoryAvailability HeuristicTechnophobiaSocial Contagion
Theory Briefing
- Social media posts circulated during Europe's record-breaking heatwaves claiming 5G technology was the direct cause of the extreme temperatures.
- The claim follows a pattern where a frightening real event — here, dangerous heat — gets attached to an existing technology fear, giving the conspiracy fresh urgency.
- 5G towers emit non-ionising radio waves far too weak to influence atmospheric temperatures at any meaningful scale.
- AFP Fact Check flagged the posts as false, but the timing of their spread shows how a crisis moment can dramatically amplify fringe claims.