Zuckerberg's Charm Offensive on Behalf of Libra With US Lawmakers

When Facebook published the Libra white paper in June 2019, shockwaves were felt across the crypto markets the world over.

As resistance increases, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has been on a charm offensive to tip the scales in Libra's favor.

It is perhaps unsurprising that Zuckerberg's recent activities seek to reassure critics that Facebook is making every effort to ensure that the Libra project is above board.

On Sept. 18, Zuckerberg reportedly dined with a number of United States lawmakers in a bid to assuage concerns about Libra.

"One of the things I'm very worried about is, when the Facebook representative testified before the Senate, before my committee, he said, 'You know, if we can't get American regulatory approval, we won't launch.' We hear lots of indication Facebook may choose to launch in other nations first. So, somebody is not telling the truth."

The art of persuasion: Facebook hires new lobbyistsFor many years, the world's largest tech companies steered clear of politics.

While creating their monopolies at the top of the tech world, the big four of technology - i.e., Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple - have blurred the boundaries of where technology and politics collide.

In the world of politics and money talks, Facebook has a powerful tactic up its sleeve: lobbying.

According to a report published on Sept. 5, Facebook hired William Hollier, the president of legislative and regulatory counseling firm Hollier Associates LLC, in late August to lobby for the company on blockchain policy.

Hollier has previously worked for U.S. Republican Sen. Mike Crapo, who has spoken of the potential benefits that Facebook's Libra project could bring.