The Citizen (KZN)

Gates dismisses rumours

ONLINE: CONSPIRACY THEORIES SUGGEST BILLIONAIR­E CREATED VIRUS

- Washington

Billionair­e philanthro­pist Bill Gates on Thursday pushed back against some of the conspiracy theories spreading online accusing him of creating the coronaviru­s outbreak.

“It’s a bad combinatio­n of pandemic and social media and people looking for a very simple explanatio­n,” the Microsoft founder said during a CNN Town Hall interview.

Doctored photos and fabricated news articles crafted by conspiracy theorists – shared thousands of times on social media platforms and messaging apps, in various languages – targeting Gates have gained traction online since the start of the pandemic.

A video accusing Gates of wanting “to eliminate 15% of the population” through vaccinatio­n and electronic microchips has racked up millions of views on YouTube.

“Our foundation has given more money to buy vaccines to save lives than any group,” Gates said, referring to his eponymous foundation.

He has pledged $250 million (about R4.2 billion) in efforts to fight the devastatin­g global pandemic and his foundation has spent billions of dollars improving healthcare in developing countries over the past 20 years.

“So you just turn that right around.

“You say, okay, we’re making money and we’re trying to kill people with vaccines or by inventing something,” Gates continued. “And at least it’s true, we’re associated with vaccines, but you actually have sort of flipped the connection,” he said. He added that he hoped the conspiraci­es don’t end up generating “vaccine hesitancy”. Since the start of the crisis, AFP Fact Check has debunked dozens of anti-Gates rumors circulatin­g on platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram in languages including English,

French,

Czech.

A number of accusation­s, including posts claiming that the FBI arrested Gates for biological terrorism or that he supports a Western plot to poison Africans, share a common thread.

They accuse the tycoon of exploiting the crisis, whether it is to “control people” or make money from selling vaccines.

“I’m a big believer in getting the truth out,” Gates told CNN.

It is not the first time Gates has found himself targeted by conspiracy theorists.

When Zika virus broke out in 2015 in Brazil, he was one of several powerful Western figures blamed for the disease.

Other rumors claim he is secretly a lizard.

Spanish,

Polish and

They have sort of flipped the connection

 ?? Picture: EPA-EFE ?? An ultra-Orthodox Jew wears a colourful face mask in Jerusalem as Israel faces an increase in the number of people infected by the coronaviru­s. Police have increased enforcemen­t significan­tly on government restrictio­ns and closed some neighbourh­oods to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Picture: EPA-EFE An ultra-Orthodox Jew wears a colourful face mask in Jerusalem as Israel faces an increase in the number of people infected by the coronaviru­s. Police have increased enforcemen­t significan­tly on government restrictio­ns and closed some neighbourh­oods to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

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