Washington (AFP)
Twitter will suppress messages encouraging "harmful activities", in particular calls to destroy 5G relay antennas after conspiracy theories linking this new technology to the spread of the new coronavirus.
"We have broadened our guidelines on unverified allegations that encourage people to engage in harmful activities, which could lead to the destruction or damage of 5G infrastructure, or cause widespread panic, social unrest or large-scale unrest," wrote on Wednesday the team in charge of security at the social network.
Twitter gives the following message as an example: "5G causes coronavirus - go and destroy the antenna towers around your home".
Following the dissemination of messages of this caliber on social networks or messaging systems like WhatsApp (owned by Facebook), several relay antennas have been attacked in certain European countries. The British government even denounced in mid-April "a crazy conspiracy theory".
Among the messages targeted by the group also include incitement to panic such as: "The National Guard has just announced that there will be no more food deliveries before two months - run to the store as soon as possible and buy everything ".
Social networks are currently multiplying initiatives to try to limit the large-scale dissemination of false information on the Covid-19 pandemic.
Twitter said Wednesday it has removed more than 2,230 tweets containing "misleading and potentially dangerous" information since the implementation of stricter criteria on March 18.
Its algorithms have also spotted more than 3.4 million accounts "trying to bias the discussions on the Covid-19".
© 2020 AFP