A WhatsApp forward claiming Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has called for the withdrawal of all COVID-19 vaccines is false and has originated from an August 2021 satirical article published by The Expose, a website that has previously put out misinformation on COVID-19 vaccination.
The forward goes on to claim that Gates has made a 'confession' and claimed that he said that "vaccines are far more dangerous than anyone imagined" in a speech on television.
Gates has emerged as a prominent voice in support of COVID-19 vaccines, and he and the philanthropic foundation have been a frequent target of misinformation by anti-vaxers. BOOM has previously debunked misinformation around Gates and COVID-19 vaccines. (Read here)
Also Read: Covid-19 Vaccine: How Pfizer Has Been Targeted By An Onslaught Of Fake News
The viral forward reads, "....BREAKING NEWS, Bill Gates CONFESSES calls for the withdrawal of all Covid-19 Vaccines; " The vaccines are far more dangerous than anyone imagined" BY DAILY EXPOSE ON AUGUST 29, 2021 • ( 192 COMMENTS) In a shocking announcement, Bill Gates, billionaire Microsoft co-founder and the major force behind the COVID-19 vaccines, called for all the COVID-19 genetic-based vaccines to be taken off the market immediately."
BOOM received the viral forward on our WhatsApp helpline number (7700906111)
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The same forward was viral last year too and has been circulating on social media including Twitter.
FACT-CHECK
BOOM found that the viral forward is from a satire article that was published by 'Daily Expose', a website that has previously put out misinformation on COVID-19 vaccines.
Taking a hint from the forward as it states that its from "Daily Expose", we searched with the relevant keywords, we found the original article on the website. The headline of the article is, "SATIRE – In an alternative universe Bill Gates has called for the withdrawal of all Covid-19 Vaccines"
Daily Expose has now put an editorial note which reads, "Note from The Editor – when we first published this article we should have made it clear at the beginning that it was satire rather than at the end. We did not do this and we apologise..."
Click here to view an archive
Several fact-checkers including PolitiFact and Full Fact have fact-checked The Expose for misinformation around COVID-19 vaccines. PolitiFact had previously fact-checked the same viral forward in August 2021 when was being shared with the false claim.
Additionally, we did not find any such speech by Bill Gates against COVID-19 vaccines or any credible news reporting the claims made in the viral post.
