Depopulation

Is Bill Gates behind widespread COVID-19 testing, and does he have ownership in the World Health Organization? No, that's not true. The claims are the latest in a long-standing campaign by some within the anti-vaccine movement to paint Gates as a depopulation advocate - in part because of a 2015 Ted Talk and a 2011 CNN interview where the Microsoft…

Is Microsoft founder Bill Gates conspiring with the Vatican to try to depopulate the world with a new vaccine for the novel coronavirus? No, that's not true: The video misinterprets a soundbite from Gates' TED Talk to try to make a point about vaccines. It later launches into an anti-Catholic screed. The claim originated in a post published by Saving…

Is COVID-19 virus part of a conspiracy that has a scripted narrative designed to justify closed borders and inspire residents to stay at home? No, that's not true: A conspiracy theory on Facebook claims that the coronavirus outbreak is a move by the government against the so-called "Deep State" - a phrase common to right-wing conspiracy theorists that has not…

Do recent CEO resignations foretell a global conspiracy involving mass extinctions, automation, and economic collapse? No, that's not true: The post being widely shared is filled with fear-mongering conspiracy theories. While several chief executive officers have stepped down in recent months, there is no evidence linking these moves to a coordinated "shift in power" on a global scale. The claim…

Does the United Nations have a secret plan to wipe out 95% of the world's population in the next 10 years? No, that is fake news. The conspiracy theory surrounding an action plan called "Agenda 21" has been around, and debunked, since shortly after it originated following a UN Earth Summit in Brazil in 1992. There is no truth to…

Is the novel coronavirus a bioweapon that leaked from a Wuhan laboratory? No, there is no evidence to suggest that's true: Scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology have insisted there is no link between the lab and the coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China. We have previously fact-checked theories that the coronavirus was a lab-made bioweapon, a claim that…

Did a bioweapons expert say that coronavirus is a biological warfare weapon? Yes, he did, but here is some context: The video making the rounds featuring Dr. Francis Boyle, who drafted the legislation for the Biological Weapons Convention, offers no supporting evidence to back up that suggestion. The remarks in a video interview (archived here) have been cited in several…

Did billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates help fund a patent for the Wuhan coronavirus? No, that's not true: The Pirbright Institute addressed the conspiracy theories and said the patents involve infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) only, and the Gates Foundation did not fund that work. The claim originated from an article (archived here) published by Natural News on January…

Is the coronavirus a "man-made" depopulation weapon? No, that's not true: There is no evidence to support this theory, which is being spread by conspiracy-minded outlets like InfoWars. While scientists are still investigating the source of the coronavirus outbreak, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it appears to have originated at an animal or seafood market in…

Did Bill Gates admit in a CNN interview that vaccinations are intended to reduce the world's population? No, that's not true: The Microsoft founder was talking to CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta in 2013 about his investment in delivering child vaccinations to third world countries with the goal of saving lives. Gates said that reducing population growth is one of the…