Regulators may take interest in internet giants' cryptocurrencies - German cartel office

FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures stand on representations of virtual currency in front of the Facebook logo in this illustration picture, June 21, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic
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DADO RUVIC(Reuters)
BONN, Germany (Reuters) – Antitrust regulators may take an interest in cryptocurrencies being launched by big internet companies, the head of Germany’s Federal Cartel Office said.
“Cryptocurrencies launched by internet giants could become a topic for the cartel authorities,” the antitrust watchdog’s president, Andreas Mundt, told reporters on Thursday.
Facebook announced plans on June 18 to launch a global cryptocurrency called Libra, prompting concerns about privacy protection and possible political implications.
(Reporting by Matthias Inverardi; Writing by Douglas Busvine; Editing by Tassilo Hummel)