A viral claim has circulated on social media claiming that a “tracking chip” was discovered inside the shirt of a person in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. The images show what appears to be a small electronic component attached to a garment label. The claim suggests clandestine surveillance of Gaza residents through embedded tracking devices.
However, independent fact-checkers at Misbar have investigated the matter and found the claim to be misleading. Their analysis shows the component is in fact a standard RFID (radio frequency identification) tag used in clothing retail for inventory management or anti-theft purposes, not a “tracking chip” designed to monitor individuals’ movement.
Misbar’s team performed a reverse image search and found the underlying imagery pre-dates the claim, and the Arabic on the product “cut before washing or wearing” suggests a commercial garment tag rather than a covert surveillance device.
The difference between RFID tags and tracking chips is significant. RFID tags may respond when within the magnetic field of a reader at short range, typically in a retail environment, whereas tracking devices and chips often include GPS or cellular functionality and aim at continuous or remote monitoring. The viral claim conflates the two technologies.
Such misunderstandings underline the risk of mis- and disinformation, especially in conflict zones. Amplified by emotionally charged contexts, claims like this can spread rapidly without verification. As a specialist working in RFID/NFC systems, I note this case underlines how even benign RFID technology can be repackaged in narratives of surveillance, with potential negative consequences for trust and adoption in legitimate applications.