Bill Gates has gone from an American hero to a man many are suspicious of. Recent revelations suggest that Gates and his wife Melinda, are linked to the popular fact-checking website factcheck.org, which presents many problems.
An often-cited criticism of so-called “fact-checking” websites is who exactly checks their facts. Many also criticise the fact-checking websites for being left-leaning, is not fully left-wing, in terms of the political spectrum.
One of the most well-known fact-checking websites – factcheck.org – does seem to be linked to Bill Gates. Gates, whose power over the world continues to frighten many, does not own factcheck.org – but he is connected to the site, which raises many fears.
Background
So-called “Fact-checking” websites are becoming common. While many have existed for several years, they have become a major part of journalistic integrity, supposedly offering a fair and unbiased viewpoint of claims made by various individuals.
Since Covid-19 started to affect the world, fact-checking websites have gained enormous traffic. There have been a range of claims made by politicians, podcasters, influencers and other everyday folk, which at times have bordered on outlandish.
To try and combat the ongoing issue of fake news, these fact-checking websites can be very useful, and help to provide clarity on the various claims made by people. After all, there is much scaremongering and wild claims made by many people.
Therefore, the idea of these fact-checking websites is very positive. But a criticism of the majority of fact-checking websites is that they are at the very least left-leaning, if not left-wing, in terms of their approach.
After all, who is fact-checking these fact-checking sites? There are many concerns that there are nefarious intentions behind these websites, including an advancement of left-wing causes and interests, whilst regarding anything right-wing related as false.
Factcheck.org is one of the oldest fact-checking websites, and was actually launched back in 2003. It is owned by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, which is a cause of discontent for many.
Other prominent fact-checking websites include Snopes, PolitiFact and USAFacts. Many prominent newspapers also have “fact-checking” sections, but this presents clear bias problems.
The Role of Bill Gates in factcheck.org
A few years ago Bill Gates was known for being the founder of Microsoft, a company that has changed the lives of everyone around the world. But now, he is largely viewed with suspicion, due to his supposed role in politics, healthcare and Covid-19.
As we mentioned above, factcheck.org is owned and operated by the Annenberg Public Policy Center. While for many years this wasn’t made clear on the website, nowadays, it clearly states near the logo that Annenberg is involved.
Bill Gates fits into the situation here. Gates, along with his wife Melinda, have donated heavily in recent years to the Annenberg Public Policy Center. In fact, in 2021 alone, almost $1million was donated by the Gates Foundation, which Annenberg proudly announced. This follows similar donations, including a $3million donation in 2010.
But it begs the question, why would they do this? A cynic might look at this with the view that such money might be donated in exchange for a certain political slant. It is somewhat hard to believe that factcheck.org would not be affected by this donation.
Factcheck.org positions itself as an advocacy group that creates research and reports on society. But if they have someone as powerful as Bill Gates funding them, it would surely compromise their ability to be unbiased.
This is in light of the fact that Bill Gates is known for espousing left-wing views. As a result, it could be argued that factcheck.org is always going to be slanted to the left-wing.
Indeed, most articles on their website concerns disproving claims made by prominent figures on the right. Suspiciously, there aren’t many articles on those on the left that have made false claims and statements.
The concern over Bill Gates
Bill Gates has made no secret of his political position. At the last American election, Gates heavily donated to Democrat leader Joe Biden. Biden, who seems to be in a severe state of cognitive decline, is known for being arguably the most left-wing President in history.
Gates is known for his heavily pro-abortion views, having made large donations to Planned Parenthood, which is one of, if not the most, evil companies in the world. Then there are also concerns over the Foundation’s “women’s empowerment” stance, which has got to the point where their policies and initiatives are sexist against men.
Gates has also been associated with Covid-19. In 2015, a mere 4 years before Covid-19 was released, Gates warned of a “highly-infectious virus”. Gates has also been vocal in his belief that the earth is overpopulated. Conspiracy theories inevitably arose once Gates’ 2015 comments were dredged up by different figures during the pandemic.
It is these various areas that mean it is very concerning to think that someone with such hardline left-wing views has a large sphere of influence over a supposed fact-checking website.
While allegations that Gates is using the vaccine as an excuse to microchip the population is surely wide of the mark, it is not hard to see why people are suspicious of Gates.
Gates does deserve praise for the charitable work he has done and facilitated. This includes funding education for disadvantaged children, improving health coverage, business funding and helping developing countries.
The Takeaway
Bill Gates is a very powerful man. But as the saying goes – with great power comes great responsibility. Is it possible that Gates has a strong influence on a major fact-checking website? Surely yes.
While factcheck.org tries to stay “neutral”, in truth, it is easy to see why many are concerned over the website’s ability to be fair. The media is overwhelmingly left-wing, and factcheck.org appears to be relishing that narrative.
