Over 40% of Europeans who participated in a recent consultation want a digital euro to ensure privacy protection – a suggestion that EU citizens will not take kindly to a digital currency that involves Big Brother-like monitoring of their transactions by central bankers.
These were the findings of a digital euro consultation conducted by the European Central Bank (ECB). The ECB concluded its public consultation period on January 13, three months after its launch.
The ECB has announced that it will now proceed with an in-depth analysis of the 8,221 responses submitted by EU citizens, firms and industry associations.
But an initial look at the raw data shows that 41% of respondents prioritize privacy-related matters above all else when it comes to all things digital euro-related.
The ECB said it would now move to “publish a comprehensive analysis of the public consultation in the spring, which will serve as an important input for the ECB’s Governing Council when deciding whether to launch a digital euro project.”
And the bank added, in defense of its proposed token,