From Arson Attacks on Base Stations to $2 Billion in Damages... The Bill Left by Conspiracy Theories [Conspiracy Theory Business]

③ The Social Cost of Conspiracy Theories

Editor's NoteUnidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), the Bill Gates human control theory, idols allegedly taking orders from Satan—unverified conspiracy theories have existed across eras and regions. They have thrived on social anxiety and distrust, continuously evolving to fit the technological environment of their time. The advent of the internet dramatically accelerated the spread of conspiracy theories, erasing national boundaries. With the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI), even the line between fact and fiction is becoming blurred. Conspiracy theories have moved beyond irrational superstition or mere internet legends. Through view counts, sponsorship, paid communities, and product sales, they have grown into an industry. The Asia Business Daily takes a close look at the "conspiracy theory business" with examples from South Korea, the United States, and Japan.

As conspiracy theories have grown into an industry, the resulting harm from misinformation is focused on the general public. Abroad, studies even estimate the social cost of conspiracy theories to reach tens of billions of US dollars. The pressing issue is the scope of this harm. The profits generated by conspiracy theories are concentrated among certain individuals and organizations, but the ensuing costs must ultimately be borne by society as a whole. Experts particularly emphasize that the social trust collapse caused by conspiracy theories can affect society over the long term.

In the United States, there have been cases where those spreading conspiracy theories have faced enormous compensation liabilities. One case is the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012, which claimed 26 lives. At the time, far-right broadcaster Alex Jones claimed the incident was intentionally orchestrated by the government to advance gun control. He further accused grieving parents of being "crisis actors" faking their sorrow. As these theories spread, more followers emerged, some of whom sent threatening messages or even tracked down and harassed the victims' families. This meant the victims suffered harm twice—once from the incident, and again from conspiracy theories. Ultimately, in October last year, the US Supreme Court confirmed the ruling that Jones must pay $1.4 billion (2.1518 trillion won) in damages to the bereaved families.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, conspiracy theories led to mobile base stations being set on fire. The theory that "5G communication waves spread COVID-19" swept through social media, turning base stations into targets. According to The Guardian, in April 2020, more than 20 mobile base stations across the UK were either set ablaze or vandalized. Attacks were particularly concentrated around Liverpool and the West Midlands. Some of the targeted base stations actually used 3G and 4G equipment rather than 5G, yet they still suffered indiscriminate attack. Additionally, there were at least 30 documented cases of telecommunications engineers being subjected to verbal abuse or threats from citizens.

A 5G mobile communication base station located on Stewartstown Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK, burnt down due to arson. BBC.

In Japan, anti-vaccine conspiracy theories escalated to intrusions into medical facilities. Influenced by the American conspiracy movement QAnon, a Japanese group named "Yamato Q" claimed that COVID-19 vaccines were unverified and should be halted. They not only staged anti-vaccine protests around the country but also confronted medical institutions in person to stage protests.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun, in April 2022, four Yamato Q members were arrested for suspected trespassing at a Tokyo clinic in the midst of pediatric vaccine administration. They claimed, "We only asked to see the vaccine ingredients," but police regarded their actions as unlawful entry.

As seen above, conspiracy theories now extend beyond the online realm and are fueling actions in the real world. Consequently, studies quantifying the social and economic costs of conspiracy theories and misinformation are also actively being conducted. According to a study from Brown University in the United States, misinformation regarding COVID-19 vaccines led to about 2.3 million additional infections and 66,000 additional hospitalizations in the US in 2021. The research estimated the associated hospitalization costs at $2 billion (2.7 trillion won). These are costs arising because infections and hospitalizations that could have been prevented by timely vaccination instead occurred due to the spread of misinformation.

Moreover, experts note that even larger long-term societal costs, difficult to quantify in financial terms, are at stake. The distrust sown by conspiracy theories can continue to influence society long after an incident ends, undermining trust in social institutions.

Karen Douglas, a professor at the University of Kent and a leading conspiracy theory researcher, emphasized in an interview with The Asia Business Daily, "Conspiracy theories intensify social distrust and polarization, and they can inflict real harm on public health and democracy." She added, "If people are unable to trust the government, the media, and scientific institutions, society's very capacity to respond effectively to crises may be weakened."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.