Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates has lamented that “titillating” misinformation has a tendency to spread faster than the truth.
Gates said this while calling on Tesla and SpaceX Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Elon Musk to stay in his lane.
This is in reaction to the automaker enterpreneur’s controversial comments about COVID-19.
In a interview on CNBC, Billionaire Bill Gates said, “Facts travel slowly on social media compared with ‘negative’ misinformation, which makes it difficult for companies like Facebook and Twitter to strike a balance.
“Elon’s positioning is to maintain a high level of outrageous comments.
“He’s not much involved in vaccines. He makes a great electric car. And his rockets work well. So he’s allowed to say these things. I hope that he doesn’t confuse areas he’s not involved in too much.”
Musk has been skeptical about some of the restrictions put in place by governments to quell the spread of COVID-19.
The Tesla CEO had described California’s stay-at-home order as “fascist” in nature, calling on the government “Give people back their goddamn freedom.”
Later on in a tweet, the automaker pointed out that the number of COVID-19 cases was rising dramatically while the number of deaths was not.
He tweeted, “There are a ridiculous number of false positive COVID-19 tests, in some cases, 50%. False positives scale linearly with number of tests.
“This is a big part of why COVID-19 positive tests are going up while hospitalizations and mortality are declining. Anyone who tests positive should retest.”
Also in a New York Times interview published Saturday, the billionaire Tesla CEO said, “I think the reality of COVID-19 is that it is dangerous if you’re elderly and have pre-existing conditions.
“It absolutely makes sense to have a lockdown if you’re vulnerable. I do not think it makes sense to have a lockdown if you’re not vulnerable.”
