QAnon is gaining ground in Australia due to a growing distrust in the government and media, part of which is rooted in a perceived lack of transparency over the coronavirus response and restrictions.
Sovereign citizens believe citizens are in an oppressive contract with the government, but that by declaring themselves ‘living’ or ‘natural’ people, they avoid being bound by certain rules or laws.
African policymakers should strenuously safeguard their right to choose from the widest possible range of technology options that suit their countries’ development needs.
Conspiracy theories about COVID-19 abound.
EPA-EFE / Neil Hall
Conspiracy theories about mobile phone technology have been circulating since the 1990s and the imagined potential of radio waves to remote control a population.
A telecommunications tower with a 5G cellular network antenna looms over the skyline.
(Shutterstock)
False news about 5G spread at breakneck speed on social networks, reinforcing the fears of people who already had suspicions about its effects on health.
Shannon Rose, left, joined other demonstrators calling for Gov. Gavin Newsom to end the stay-at-home orders during a protest at the state capitol in Sacramento, Calif., on May 9, 2020.
(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
From political ideologies, conspiracy theories or “reopen” protests, when faced with uncertainty, we seek reassurance in the face of mortality through efforts at containment.
Conspiracy theories about 5G causing coronavirus have led to attacks on phone masts.
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As if attacks on health workers weren’t upsetting enough, reports indicate broadband engineers are now also being abused - as conspiracy theorists link 5G technology with to COVID-19’s spread.
Differences among the ‘Five Eyes’ over the tech company’s role in building 5G networks pose a threat to the long-standing Western consensus about how to manage relations with China.
Introduced properly, 5G could have an enormous impact. We are placing it at risk.
Canadian leaders face high-stakes decisions about 5G technology. In this June 26, 2019, photo, visitors tour the Huawei pavilion at the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, China.
(Chinatopix via AP)
Should we be concerned about the health effects of 5G? The short answer is no – there’s no substantiated evidence that the electromagnetic energy used by mobile telecommunications causes harm.
In future we will not necessarily be at war with China, but we may live segregated from them in terms of innovation.
Emilio Naranjo/AAP
Choices the US, Australia and other nations make around how they set up 5G will determine how we use technology for collaboration, innovation and global business into the future.
Both the US and Australia are restricting the activities of Chinese telco Huawei.
Roman Pilipey / AAP
It’s not clear what we gain by blocking Huawei’s involvement in Australia’s 5G network.
Trump signed an executive order on May 15 that signals USA is concerned about sabotage through Chinese telcos such as Huawei.
from www.shutterstock.com
Trump’s new executive order reflects a fear of sabotage, where an enemy such as China or Russia could turn off critical infrastructure like the internet or communications capability.
Professor in Law and Co-Convener National Security Hub (University of Canberra) and Research Fellow (adjunct) - The Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa, Faculty of Military Science, Stellenbosch University- NATO Fellow Asia-Pacific, University of Canberra