A rise in misinformation linking 5G to the spread of the coronavirus has prompted EU officials to meet with telecoms companies on June 3 to discuss ways to stamp out the conspiracy theories.

The event comes after it was revealed that 120 attacks on mobile networks are currently being investigated in the region. They include the burning of 5G masts in the U.K., where news linking the next-generation wireless technology to the coronavirus is the most common type of fake news encountered online, the country's media regulator Ofcom reported in April. Scientists, radiation watchdogs, and leading telecoms companies have debunked the theories.

Members of the European Parliament and representatives from Vodafone Group PLC and Sweden's Telia Co. AB (publ) will be among the speakers sharing their concerns at the meeting in a bid to kickstart 5G rollouts, which they claim can play a critical role in the region's recovery from the "coronavirus recession."

Meanwhile, internet and social media companies have begun implementing policies to stop the circulation of 5G misinformation. Google LLC banned search adverts on 5G conspiracy theories, Twitter Inc. recently began alerting users who search for 5G to a U.K. government web page featuring verified information, and Facebook Inc. has been removing 5G fake news from its platform.

	Europe
	June 2	EU sports ministers will hold their second video conference on how to safely resume sporting events as the region begins easing lockdown measures.
	June 3	European officials and telcos will meet to discuss the impact of 5G misinformation on public discourse.
	June 4-5	Europe's main cybersecurity agency is to hold its Annual Privacy Forum with a focus on personal data protection.
	United Kingdom
	June 4	The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee on online harms is to discuss the government's proposed social media regulation as part of a private meeting.

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