The World Economic Forum “says CBDCs must be ‘implanted under your skin’ if you want to participate in society.”
Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Does the World Economic Forum need to get under your skin (with a chip)? No
If Your Time is short
- The World Economic Forum didn’t say this, according to the organization.
The World Economic Forum lacks the authority to mandate anything for humanity. But a recent Instagram post suggests it can — and more absurdly that the nonprofit is requiring people to get microchipped.
"WEF says CBDCs must be ‘implanted under your skin’ if you want to participate in society," reads a screenshot of a July 10 blog post headline that uses an abbreviation for the forum and central bank digital currencies.
An image of a microchip on a finger appears below the headline.
An Instagram post sharing a screenshot of the headline was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
Featured Fact-check
Yann Zopf, a World Economic Forum spokesperson, told PolitiFact the organization never said this.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
The story quotes banking and finance professor Richard Werner, who during an interview posted July 7 on YouTube speculated on the possibility of digital currencies someday being implanted into people’s hands. But Werner wasn’t representing the World Economic Forum or saying that the forum was mandating microchip implants.
We rate this claim False.
Our Sources
Instagram post, July 14, 2023
Blog post, July 10, 2023
YouTube, Crucial CBDC’s with Professor Richard Werner: YOUR Future is Being Decided!, July 7, 2023
Email interview with Yann Zopf, head of media engagement, World Economic Forum, July 20, 2023
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Ciara O'Rourke
Does the World Economic Forum need to get under your skin (with a chip)? No
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.