Bill Gates responds to Internet Explorer retirement with conspiracy theory reference

Bill Gates' Microsoft has retired Internet Explorer, 27 years after its launch.

Microsoft on June 15 retired its Internet Explorer browser and social media became flooded with memes and nostalgic posts.

Adding to the jokes was Trevor Noah's The Daily Show. They alluded to conspiracy theories about Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates wanting to use COVID-19 vaccines to implant microchips into people.

"Wow, Bill Gates encourages everyone to get vaccinated, then a year later Internet Explorer dies," the Twitter handle of the talk show wrote. Coincidence???"

In response, Gates said: "I guess we finally ran out of microchips."

I guess we finally ran out of microchips. https://t.co/dptfYIGl4k

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) June 15, 2022

Internet Explorer reached the peak of its popularity in 2001 -- when Microsoft launched its sixth version.

But in the following years, users began to move away from it because of glitches and slow speed. Google Chrome gradually emerged as the leader in the browser market, with a  65 percent share, according to news agency AFP.

Read: Obituary: Microsoft's Internet Explorer

In May last year, Microsoft had announced that it would focus on its Microsoft Edge browser.

"We are announcing that the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge," the company had said. "Not only is Microsoft Edge a faster, more secure and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer, but it is also able to address a key concern: compatibility for older, legacy websites and applications."

It added: "Microsoft Edge has Internet Explorer mode (“IE mode”) built in, so you can access those legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and applications straight from Microsoft Edge."