CLAIM: The World Economic Forum has declared “pedophiles will save humanity” and is calling for the decriminalization of sex with children because laws that prevent it “violate human rights.”
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. These claims originated on a website that is known to publish false news and misinformation. The WEF has not made any such declaration, nor is it calling for the decriminalization of sex between adults and children, according to a spokesperson for the WEF, who said the article was “completely made up.”
THE FACTS: A baseless article that falsely claims the international organization is taking a public stance sympathetic to pedophilia, while seeking to decriminalize it, is drawing tens of thousands of shares online.
The claims came from a website called News Punch, which has published numerous stories based on conspiracy theories and has promoted fabricated information and quotes in the past.
The article was published Tuesday with the headline: “World Economic Forum Declares Pedophiles ‘Will Save Humanity.’” One Twitter user who shared the story on Wednesday received more than 10,000 retweets and 15,000 likes on the post, which was also viewed more than 450,000 times.
Users commenting on the tweet appeared to believe the information was real, though some questioned the credibility of the site that reported it.
The article claimed — without citing any evidence or sources — that WEF Chairman Klaus Schwab called pedophilia “nature’s gift” to humanity. It also...
By Andrew Goudsward WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) – A U.S. judge on Wednesday ruled that the Justice Department can keep 2020 election ballots seized during an FBI search in January, a win for Presi...