Bill Gates and his ‘GMO mosquitoes’ blamed for dengue fever surge, viral hoax claims Google is shutting down Gmail, and more
In this excerpt of NewsGuard's confidential weekly briefing for clients, we update you on the top misinformation and disinformation trends and narratives to help your organization stay ahead of emerging threats.
Subscribe to NewsGuard's Substack newsletter, "Reality Check," a weekly report on how misinformation online is undermining trust—and who’s behind it.
Edited by Jack Brewster and Eric Effron.
Blaming ‘Bill Gates GMO Mosquitoes’ for a Dengue Surge in Brazil
By Macrina Wang
InfoWars.com and other far-right websites are blaming a recent surge in dengue fever infections in Brazil on "genetically modified" or “gene edited” mosquitoes released by a Bill Gates-funded initiative to combat mosquito-borne diseases.
InfoWars.com (NewsGuard Trust Score: 7.5/100), which apparently originated the claim, stated on Feb. 26, 2024, “Dengue fever has spiked fourfold in Brazil in 2024 following the release of millions of gene-edited mosquitos by the United Nations’ World Mosquito Program. .... Bill Gates Foundation money is involved in all sides of the situation, from the gene-edited mosquitos — which has apparently exacerbated the dengue crisis — to bankrolling companies who are providing the in-demand dengue fever vaccine to Brazil.”
Relax, Google Is Not Shutting Down Gmail
An image of a fabricated email from Google Analytics warning that the company will be “sunsetting” Gmail has circulated widely on X, garnering more than 12 million views and creating confusion among Gmail’s 1.8 billion users. The email stated that Gmail would shut down on Aug. 1, 2024, and that all Gmail accounts would become inaccessible at that time.“
As of August 1, 2024, Gmail will officially be sunsetted, marking the end of its service. This means that as of this date, Gmail will no longer support sending, receiving, or storing emails. … After this date, Gmail accounts will become inaccessible,” the email stated. Community Notes debunking the claim were later added to posts that quoted the fake email, although by then, the false claim had already gone viral.
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X Users Claim Israeli Intelligence Has the ‘Antidote’ for COVID-19 Vaccines
X users with thousands of followers are advancing the false claim that side effects from COVID-19 vaccinations can be reversed by taking a drug known as artemisinin — and that Israeli intelligence already has this so-called “cure.”
“BREAKING: Israeli intelligence allegedly has the antidote to cure damages from the COVID-19 vaccine,” X user Patrick Webb wrote in a Feb. 25, 2024, post shared with his more than 71,000 followers. “Artemisinin also revealed to undo damages from the vaccine.”
Technical Glitch Sparks False Claim that South Carolina Voters Were Prevented from Casting Ballots
By Sam Howard
A minor electronic glitch at a polling station in South Carolina sparked false claims that the state’s Feb. 24, 2024, primary election was marred by voter fraud. There was indeed an internet outage at the polling place, election officials said, but it did not prevent anyone from voting.
Election officials explained that one of three tablets used for checking in voters at Satchel Ford Elementary School, just outside of Columbia, S.C., did not connect to a mobile WiFi hotspot during voting hours. As a result, a poll worker used a paper list to check in voters, who then were able to cast emergency ballots, Travis Alexander, director of voter registration and elections in Richland County, where the voting locale is located, told NewsGuard in an email.
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6moIt must be a mere coincidence that dengue increased 400% and the country bought readily available $5.2 million doses of vaccines which already have 70 reactions.