WASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said on Thursday ‌it is seeking public comment on ‌whether it should comprehensively review the so-called Consolidated Audit ​Trail (CAT), potentially re-opening a decade-long dispute over the trading database.

The SEC said it would seek feedback on how the CAT is ‌funded, its purpose, ⁠structure, governance, design, scope and cybersecurity concerns, among other issues, in a ⁠move that could give industry opponents another opportunity to kill the project.

The SEC mandated ​the CAT's ​creation in 2012 ​in response to ‌the "flash crash" of 2010, when major Wall Street indexes temporarily erased nearly $1 trillion in market value in a matter of minutes. Officials say the database allows regulators to spot ‌market manipulation and have ​cited its data in ​enforcement actions.

But the ​CAT has long been mired ‌in controversy, delays and ​litigation, with brokers ​arguing the project is unnecessarily burdensome and costly, and puts personal data at ​risk from ‌potential cybersecurity hacks or lapses.

(Editing by ​Daphne Psaledakis. Writing by Michelle Price. ​Editing by Mark Potter)