Framework assesses security and efficiency of electronic payments, including electronic wallets and crypto-asset-related services ECB calls for swift progress on overseeing global digital payment solutions and stablecoins Overseen companies to adhere to new principles within one year The ECB’s Governing Council has approved a new oversight framework for electronic payments following a public consultation. The framework is designed to make the current and future payments ecosystem safer and more efficient, as part of the ECB’s statutory task to promote...

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To continue playing its role as the anchor of the monetary system, central bank money will need to respond to evolving needs, says Executive Board member Fabio Panetta. This means that we must intensify the work on central bank digital currencies. Just as the postage stamp became less relevant with the arrival of the internet and email, so too could cash lose relevance in a digital economy. The use of cash in payments is declining as people increasingly prefer to...

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With more than a century of consumer protection experience under our belt, we at the FTC know that hard times for American families can be boom times for scammers. Today’s COVID-19 pandemic is the latest crisis creating fertile ground for fraud – and scammers today have a new and powerful weapon: social media platforms. These platforms generally earn their revenue by targeting users with advertising. The more time we spend on platforms consuming content and revealing valuable personal information,...

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The European Commission has adopted a Communication on a competition policy fit for new challenges, which frames the important role of competition policy for Europe's path towards recovery, the green and digital transitions, and for a resilient Single Market. The Communication highlights the in-built ability of competition policy to adapt to new market circumstances, policy priorities and customer needs: for example, today, the Commission has adopted the sixth amendment of the State aid Temporary Framework to enable Member States to provide targeted support...

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