FACT CHECK: Facebook Post Makes False Claim About Digital IDs

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A post shared on Facebook claims the United Nations (UN) purportedly said Microsoft founder Bill Gates’ “Digital IDs” will be mandatory to participate in society.

Verdict: False

The claim is false and stems from a Nov. 5 article published on “The People’s Voice,” a website that is known for spreading “fake news.” A spokesperson for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

Seamus Bruner has accused Gates of buying up farmland and investing in patented fertilizers and fake meat to “enrich his bank account and not save the planet,” according to the Times of India. Bruner, who is an author and investigative journalist, made the claim in his book, “Controligarchs,” the outlet reported.

The Facebook post claims the UN purportedly said Gates’ “Digital IDs” will soon be “mandatory to participate in society.” The post further claims the UN has announced plans to rollout “digital IDs” worldwide by 2030.

The claim is false and stems from a Nov. 5 article published on “The People’s Voice,” a website that is known for spreading “fake news.” A “Liability Disclaimer” included on the site’s “Terms of Use” page indicates it “makes no representations about the suitability, reliability, availability, timeliness, and accuracy of the information, software, products, services and related graphics contained on the site for any purpose.”

The site, which has previously been known as “NewsPunch” and “YourNewsWire,” is described as “one of the most well-known purveyors of fake news online,” according to a 2019 article from Mashable. (RELATED: Is Bill Gates Facing Life Behind Bars On Child Rape Charges?)

Likewise, Gates has not referenced the claim on his website or his verified social media accounts. In addition, the UN has not publicly commented on the claim.

Victor Garrido Delgado, a spokesperson for the UN Development Program (UNDP), denied the claim’s validity, according to USA Today.

“The United Nations has not, at any point, claimed that digital ID will become mandatory,” Delgado told the outlet. Check Your Fact also contacted a UN spokesperson, who directed us to the piece authored by USA Today.

Delgado also said the article distorts a recent UNDP initiative called “50in5,” which aims to improve digital public infrastructure systems in 50 countries, the outlet reported.

A spokesperson for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact. “This claim is false,” the spokesperson said.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

Trending