Safeguarding Public Interests in the Platform Economy
Publication date
2020
Authors
Frenken, Koen
van Waes, Arnoud
Pelzer, Peter
Smink, Magda
van Est, Rinie
Editors
Advisors
Supervisors
Document Type
Article
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Abstract
This article examines the main public interests at stake with the rise of online platforms in the sharing economy and the gig economy. We do so by analyzing platforms in five sectors in the Netherlands: domestic cleaning (Helpling), taxi rides (UberPop), home restaurants (AirDnD), home sharing (Airbnb), and car sharing (SnappCar). The most salient public interests are a level playing field between platforms and industry incumbents, tax compliance, consumer protection, labor protection, and privacy protection. We develop four policy options (enforce, new regulation, deregulation, and toleration), and discuss the rationales for each option in safeguarding each public interest. We further stress that arguments supporting a particular policy option should take into account the sectoral context. We finally highlight the tension between the subsidiarity principle, which would call for local regulations as platforms mostly concern local transactions and innovation policies that aim to support innovation and a single digital market.
Keywords
Uber, Airbnb, sharing economy, gig economy, regulation, 优步, 爱彼迎, 共享经济, 零工经济, 监管/规制, economía compartida, economía gig, regulación
Citation
Frenken, K, van Waes, A, Pelzer, P, Smink, M & van Est, R 2020, 'Safeguarding Public Interests in the Platform Economy', Policy & Internet, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 400-425. https://doi.org/10.1002/poi3.217