To me I feel that facebook is being threatened by the power this new technology offers. They are adjusting to the institutions who see cryptocurrency as a threat to their monopoly. Maybe they know that a new financial order is about to emerge and are doing all they can to stop it.
You are right. Data is the new currency of 21st century and is used by big technology giants to monetize for their own benefits giving nothing in return to the end user. They are seeing the blockchain technology a threat to their business and this move is just to secure future of their business.