Focussing in detail on one key component of the infodemic surrounding COVID-19, this article traces the dissemination dynamics of rumours that the pandemic outbreak was somehow related to the rollout of 5G mobile telephony technology in Wuhan and around the world. Drawing on a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods including time-series analysis, network analysis and in-depth close reading, our analysis shows the dissemination of the rumour on Facebook from its obscure origins in pre-existing conspiracist groups through greater uptake in more diverse communities to substantial amplification by celebrities, sports stars and media outlets. The in-depth tracing of COVID-related mis- and disinformation across social networks offers important new insights into the dynamics of online information dissemination and points to opportunities to slow and stop the spread of false information, or at least to combat it more directly with accurate counterinformation.

中文翻译：

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'电晕？5G？还是两者兼而有之？”：Facebook 上 COVID-19/5G 阴谋论的动态

本文详细关注围绕 COVID-19 的信息流行病的一个关键组成部分，追溯了谣言的传播动态，即大流行的爆发在某种程度上与武汉和世界各地的 5G 移动电话技术的推出有关。我们的分析结合了定量和定性方法，包括时间序列分析、网络分析和深入阅读，我们的分析表明，谣言在 Facebook 上的传播，从其在先前存在的阴谋团体中的晦涩起源开始，通过更多地吸收到更多样化的领域名人、体育明星和媒体的大量放大。