Dr. Fauci says every American should be microchipped.
Dr. Fauci didn’t say Americans should be “microchipped”
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• There is no evidence that Dr. Anthony Fauci has said every American should be "microchipped."
• Fauci has suggested Americans might someday carry certificates of immunity to COVID-19.
• Similar claims that Democrats and others are pushing microchips to fight the coronavirus have been debunked.
Over the course of the coronavirus outbreak, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has become a household name — and a frequent target of misinformation.
PolitiFact has debunked several online claims about Fauci from people trying to discredit him, including the idea that he has a financial stake in a coronavirus vaccine and that he served on Microsoft’s board of directors.
A new claim says Fauci wants to “microchip” Americans.
“Dr. Fauci says every American should be microchipped,” one Facebook post says.
This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
There is no evidence to support this claim, or any of several other claims that prominent people are pushing to implant or inject microchips into people as a response to COVID-19.
PolitiFact previously fact-checked a claim that Democrats were pushing to implant microchips in humans and found it to be false. We found no evidence of proposals or legislation that promoted the use of implanted microchips to fight COVID-19.
Other news outlets including FactCheck.org and Reuters have also debunked claims that philanthropist Bill Gates planned to use microchip implants to combat coronavirus.
This claim about microchips may have originated from a misinterpretation of a statement Gates made about possibly using “digital certificates” for health records on immunity. But he never said those certificates would be contained in microchips going into people.
Gates’s interest in digital certificates may have also triggered false claims that he was pushing tracking bracelets and “invisible tattoos” to monitor Americans under lockdown.
Fauci, too, has spoken about digital certificates of immunity.
“You know, that’s possible,” Fauci told CNN when asked if he could imagine a time where Americans carried certificates of immunity. “It’s one of those things that we talk about when we want to make sure that we know who the vulnerable people are and not. This is something that’s being discussed. I think it might actually have some merit under certain circumstances.”
However, PolitiFact could find nothing to support the claim that Fauci said he wants every American microchipped.
We rate this claim False.
Our Sources
Reuters, "False claim: Bill Gates wants to microchip people; Anthony Fauci wants people to carry vaccination certificates," May 5, 2020
PolitiFact, "No, Democrats aren’t pushing microchips to fight coronavirus," April 23, 2020
USA Today, "Dr. Fauci says immunity certificates 'possible' after coronavirus pandemic. Here's what that means," April 16, 2020
Washington Post, "The Health 202: Immunity certificates could help people return to work. But huge questions remain," April 14, 2020
Politico, "Fauci: Coronavirus immunity cards for Americans are ‘being discussed,’" April 10, 2020
PolitiFact, "Facebook posts falsely claim Dr. Fauci has millions invested in a coronavirus vaccine," April 15, 2020
PolitiFact, "No, Anthony Fauci wasn’t on Microsoft’s board of directors," May 11, 2020
CNN, "Dr. Fauci: Antibody tests are coming soon," April 10, 2020
Factcheck.org, "Conspiracy Theory Misinterprets Goals of Gates Foundation," April 14, 2020
Reuters, "False claim: Bill Gates planning to use microchip implants to fight coronavirus," March 31, 2020
