A viral image shared on X, formerly Twitter, purports Microsoft founder Bill Gates said U.S. citizens must accept digital IDs by 2028 or be excluded from society.

Who would rather be excluded?🙋‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/93MtVVWQWd

— Chris Wick News (@ChrisWickNews) January 14, 2024

Verdict: False

The claim is false and appears to stem from a Dec. 17 article from “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:

Gates said “health spending should go up not down” to combat climate change during a Tuesday interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, according to Fortune. The Microsoft founder also said money will be “so limited” over the next 10 years during the same interview, the outlet reported.

“Bill Gates: ‘Digital ID Must Be Accepted by US Citizen [sic] by 2028 Otherwise, risk’ exclusion from society,'” text overlay on the X image of Gates purports. The post, which has garnered over 100,000 views, does not provide a source to support the claim.

The claim is false and appears to stem from a Dec. 17 article from “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: No, Pope Francis Did Not Authorize The WEF To Rewrite A ‘Fact Checked’ Holy Bible)

Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports indicating Gates made the purported remark. In fact, the opposite is true. A keyword search reveals an article from Snopes, who also labeled the claim as false. In addition, the claim does not appear on either Gates’ website or on his verified social media accounts. Furthermore, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has not publicly commented on the claim.

A spokesperson for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

“These claims are false,” the spokesperson said.