Bill Gates partly lays blame of coronavirus spread at Facebook's feet

Bill Gates has been publicly expressing his worry for the spread of a virus since before the coronavirus even existed, and now that it's here, the philanthropist has partially laid the blame of the spread at social media giants' feet.

Gates recently spoke at the Fast Company Impact Council, where he gave a few pointers to how everyone could do their part in battling the outbreak. Gates also spoke about how social media companies such as Facebook could have done a better job of providing citizens with reliable information that would, in turn, hinder the spread of the coronavirus.

Here's what Gates said, "Can the social media companies be more helpful on these issues? What creativity do we have? Sadly, the digital tools probably have been a net contributor to spreading what I consider crazy ideas." The "crazy ideas" mentioned by Gates come in the form of misinformation that directly impacts the overall spread of the virus. For example, misinformation surrounding social distancing guidelines, masks, or other preventative measures may have resulted in many citizens not abiding by the guidelines, thus resulting in a continuation of the spread.

Gates also said, "Not wearing masks is hard to understand because it's not that bothersome. It's not expensive, and yet some people feel it's a sign of freedom or something, despite the risk of infecting other people."

If you are interested in watching the full interview with Gates, a link to the video can be found here.