Facebook triggers fresh Washington fury over cryptocurrency project

WASHINGTON: Facebook Inc’s plans to create a new cryptocurrency that can be used for everything from commerce to money transfers is facing pushback from angry US lawmakers.

House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters urged the company to halt development of the token until Congress and regulators can examine it. Other lawmakers demanded hearings and questioned whether the coin, called Libra, will have appropriate oversight.

The scrutiny shows the risks for a corporate titan like Facebook, which already faces deep skepticism in Washington, of moving into a controversial industry like cryptocurrencies. Still reeling from allegations that it failed to protect users’ data, the Silicon Valley power is now entering a space that is known for its lax regulation and resistance to oversight.


“Facebook has data on billions of people and has repeatedly shown a disregard for the protection and careful use of this data,” Waters, a California Democrat, said in a statement. “With the announcement that it plans to create a cryptocurrency, Facebook is continuing its unchecked expansion and extending its reach into the lives of its users.”

Representative Patrick McHenry, the top Republican on the financial services panel, wants Waters to hold a hearing. He said Congress needs to go “beyond the rumors and speculations and provide a forum to assess this project and its potential unprecedented impact on the global financial system.”

Facebook intends to launch its coin in 2020. Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, said he was concerned the company appears to be using its corporate heft to move into and try to dominate new industries.

Senator Sherrod Brown, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, made a point that was common in lawmakers' statements: regulators must make sure Facebook users are protected. But like others, he didn't identify a particular watchdog, perhaps signaling uncertainty over who might police Libra.