Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor widely expected to run for president of the United States in 2024, has called for a ban on the digital dollar.
Standing in front of a podium reading “Big Brother’s Digital Dollar” at a press conference on March 20, DeSantis uttered against the Federal Reserve issuing and controlling a central bank digital currency, or CBDC, in the United States, saying the move would give the government “more power.” He cited concerns about inflation in the country, the interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve and pressure on banks as examples of government policies that directly affect American consumers.
“[Una CBDC] it provides the government with direct insight into all consumer activities,” the Florida governor said. “Any way they can get into society to pursue their agenda, they will. So what the central bank digital currency is all about is policing Americans and controlling their behavior.”
No CBDC in Florida https://t.co/p9pwSTmrlN
—Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 20, 2023
DeSantis largely dismissed the arguments in favor of the Federal Reserve issuing a digital dollar — environmental concerns and reaching out to the underbanked — without citing evidence. SHe pointed to China’s launch of its digital yuan in an attempt to “control the behavior of citizens, enabling surveillance of spending habits and cutting off access to goods and services,” as well as how the governments of the Bahamas and Nigeria have handled CBDCs.
“You’re opening a huge Pandora’s box and you’re giving a central bank huge, huge amounts of power.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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